About me

I am a Tenured Full Professor in the School of Foreign Languages at Tongji University, where I explore the fascinating intersection of computational linguistics, cognitive computation, and artificial intelligence. My research bridges the gap between human language processing and machine learning, integrating statistical modeling, deep learning, and cognitive-neuroscience experimental methods to understand the deep mechanisms of language understanding and processing in both humans and machines. I have developed a amount of specialized large language models, as well as major databases and corpora, widely used in academia and industry. As global efforts accelerate in “AI + Education”, I am committed to applying data-driven approaches to advance language research toward big language science.

Research Focus

My work sits at the cutting edge of computational linguistics and cognitive AI, where I develop novel computational methods to understand human language processing and machine intelligence. I’m particularly passionate about:

• 🧠 Cognitive Computation & Brain-inspired AI: Developing computational models that explain how humans process language, using eye-tracking, EEG, and fMRI data to understand the neural mechanisms of discourse comprehension
• 🤖 Large Language Models & Reasoning: Evaluating and enhancing LLM reasoning capabilities, fine-tuning transformer-based models, and developing attention-aware computational metrics for multi-modal language processing
• 💭 Affective Computing: Understanding emotion and sentiment in human language through computational approaches
• 📊 Advanced Statistical Analysis: Applying sophisticated statistical methods including Generalized Additive Mixed Models (GAMM), Bayesian modeling, and time-series analysis to linguistic phenomena

Current & Previous Positions

• Tenured Full Professor, School of Foreign Languages, Tongji University (2025-present)
• Habilitation (German professorship qualification), University of Tübingen (2024)
• Assistant Professor & Research Scientist, University of Tübingen (2017-2025)

Impact & Recognition

My research has led to 30+ peer-reviewed journal publications in top-tier international venues including Cognition, Cognitive Science, Linguistics, Neural Networks, and PNAS, as well as 10+ publications in leading Chinese CSSCI journals such as 中国语文 and 当代语言学. Many of my works have been reprinted in 人大复印资料 and 中国社会科学文摘. My research has been featured in MIT Technology Review.

Technical Expertise

• Programming & Analysis: Python (advanced), R (advanced), PyTorch (advanced), C (immediate), Linux Shell (immediate)
• Experimental Methods: Eye-tracking, EEG, fMRI, online experiments
• Languages: Chinese (native), English (fluent), German (intermediate), Japanese (intermediate)

Current Projects

I’m currently working on groundbreaking projects that combine cognitive neuroscience with artificial intelligence to understand how humans and machines process language:

• Large Language Model reasoning and evaluation frameworks
• Cognitive computation models for brain-inspired AI
• Advanced statistical approaches to linguistic and cognitive data using GAMM and Bayesian methods
• Cross-linguistic and multi-modal studies of affective computing

I’m always excited to discuss research collaborations, student supervision opportunities, or innovative applications of computational linguistics, AI and cognitive computation. Feel free to reach out (sharpksun at hotmail.com)!