HarisThemistocleous

Short Bio

I am a computational neurolinguist who investigates how speech, language, and communication patterns can be leveraged to understand, monitor, and support individuals with neurodegenerative conditions. My research focuses on developing machine learning models for the automatic detection, differential diagnosis, and longitudinal tracking of Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA), Alzheimer’s disease, and Mild Cognitive Impairment using multimodal data—including spoken language, structural and functional MRI, and neurophysiological assessments. I have developed Open Brain AI (https://openbrainai.com/), a computational platform to automate speech and language analysis for clinical and educational research and practice.

My work spans three interconnected areas: (1) computational modeling of language and speech biomarkers in neurodegeneration, (2) the interface between linguistic structure (particularly information structure and prosody) and cognitive decline, and (3) sociolinguistic and individual variability in speech as indicators of neurological health. I am also interested in transdiagnostic approaches to early detection and digital phenotyping of cognitive and communicative disorders. My research integrates methods from computational linguistics, cognitive neuroscience, and clinical neurology, with a strong emphasis on real-world applicability and ethical AI. I collaborate internationally with research centers in the USA, Sweden, and Greece.

Having benefited from supportive academic mentorship, I am committed to fostering inclusive research environments and actively support early-career researchers—particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds—in computational and clinical neuroscience. I welcome opportunities for collaboration, dialogue, and engagement with clinicians, technologists, and policymakers working at the intersection of language, cognition, and brain health. Please feel free to get in touch.

Current Position

  • Professor of Speech, Language, and Communication, Department of Special Needs Education, University of Oslo, 2022

Past Positions

  • Associate Professor of Speech. University of Oslo, 2022
    Postdoctoral Fellow in Computational Neurolinguistics, Johns Hopkins University, 2018
  • Postdoctoral Fellow in Computational Linguistics, University of Gothenburg, 2016
  • Visiting research scholar, Princeton University, 2015

Teaching

Autumn 2025

  • RSNE4340 - Applied qualitative or quantitative research
  • SPED4101 - Innføring i Audiopedagogikk
  • SPED1100 - Introduksjon til spesialpedagogikk
  • RSNE4013 - Basic concepts in Statistics
  • SPED3011 - Lærevansker i et individ- og systemperspektiv: Audiopedagogikk - hørsel, språk og kommunikasjon
  • UV9010 - Research Ethics