About the ERN Institute
The ERN Institute (Experience-Related Neuroplasticity Institute) is an independent research and thought center dedicated to understanding how life experiences shape the brain and cognition across the lifespan.
Mission
Our mission is to advance rigorous, integrative science on how experiences, from bilingualism and education to health events and training, remodel neural systems and cognitive function over time. We aim to connect basic research to applications in education, health, aging, and technology.
Vision
We envision a scientific landscape in which experience-related neuroplasticity is measured precisely, modeled mechanistically, and used to inform interventions that promote resilience, cognitive reserve, and well-being across diverse populations.
What We Do
- Conduct and disseminate research on experience-related brain and cognitive change.
- Develop and refine measures of experiential exposure and individual differences.
- Provide methodological expertise in meta-analysis, EEG, and cognitive measurement.
- Develop transparent tools for research evaluation and impact interpretation.
- Collaborate with academic, clinical, and industry partners on applied projects.
- Support scholarly publishing and open science via ERN Press and JERN.
Leadership & Scientific Direction
John G. Grundy, Ph.D.
Co-Founder and Executive Director
Cognitive neuroscientist specializing in experience-related neuroplasticity, bilingualism, cognition, and aging.
Dr. John G. Grundy’s research examines how experience reorganizes attention, cognitive control, and brain function across the lifespan, with particular emphasis on bilingualism, neuroplasticity, and cognitive reserve. His work spans behavioral studies, EEG/MRI neuroimaging, and quantitative synthesis.
The ERN Institute serves as the scholarly home for this program of research and its collaborations across academic, health, and technology partners.
Febriana Grundy, Ph.D.
Co-Founder and Associate Director
Applied linguistics, corpus linguistics, second language development, and AI-assisted writing research.
Dr. Febriana Grundy’s research focuses on corpus linguistics methods to study learner language, academic and disciplinary writing, and second language development.
She also investigates project-based language learning and the intersections of artificial intelligence, writing, and language learning, with particular attention to pedagogical applications, assessment, and research methodology.