Zaid Zada زيد زاده

I'm a fifth-year Ph.D. Candidate at Princeton University working with Uri Hasson. My background education is in computer science (B.S., JMU) and machine learning (M.S., Georgia Tech).

I study language processing in the brain during naturalistic settings. My research explores how people and their brains use language to communicate and understand each other. Specifically, I'm interested in how multiple brains synchronize to share information, and the neural code underlying successful communication. I'm also broadly interested in the connection between how the brain and machines process language.

Selected works

For a complete list of papers, see my google scholar page.

Linguistic coupling between neural systems for speech production and comprehension during real-time dyadic conversations

Zada, Z., Nastase, S., Speer, S., Mwilambwe-Tshilobo, L., Tsoi, L., Burns, S., Falk, E., Hasson, U., & Tamir, D. (2025).
bioRxiv.

The “Podcast” ECoG dataset for modeling neural activity during natural narrative comprehension

Zada, Z., Nastase, S., Michelmann, S., Hasenfratz, L., Doyle, W., Friedman, D., Dugan, P., Melloni, L., Devore, S., Flinker, A., Devinsky, O., Goldstein, A., & Hasson, U. (2025).
bioRxiv.

A shared model-based linguistic space for transmitting our thoughts from brain to brain in natural conversations

Zada, Z., Goldstein, A., Michelmann, S., Simony, E., Price, A., Hasenfratz, L., Barham, E., Zadbood, A., Doyle, W., Friedman, D., Dugan, P., Melloni, L., Devore, S., Flinker, A., Devinsky, O., Nastase, S. A.*, & Hasson, U.* (2024).
Neuron, 112(18), 3211-3222.e5.

Shared computational principles for language processing in humans and deep language models

Goldstein, A., Zada, Z., Buchnik, E., Schain, M., Price, A., Aubrey, B., Nastase, S. A., Feder, A., Emanuel, D., Cohen, A., Jansen, A., Gazula, H., Choe, G., Rao, A., Kim, C., Casto, C., Fanda, L., Doyle, W., Friedman, D., … Hasson, U. (2022).
Nature Neuroscience, 25(3), 369-380.

Presentations

2025 A shared linguistic embedding space for communication between brains (and machines) at Princeton Neuroscience Institute In-House Seminar. talk
2024 Mapping individual and shared cortical language representations during real-time natural dialogues at Organization for Human Brain Mapping. talk
2023 Mapping cortical language representation during real-time natural dialogues at Society for Neuroscience. poster
2023 Speaker-listener neural coupling in a shared linguistic embedding space during natural conversations at Society for the Neurobiology of Language. talk
2023 Speaker-listener neural alignment in linguistic embedding space during spontaneous conversations at Organization for Human Brain Mapping. poster
2022 Speaker-listener linguistic alignment in natural conversations at Princeton Neuroscience Institute Annual Meeting. talk
2022 Language models mediate speaker-to-listener coupling in natural conversations at Society for Neuroscience. poster
2022 Brain-to-Brain Linguistic Coupling in Natural Conversations at Conference on Cognitive Computational Neuroscience. poster
2022 Linguistic brain-to-brain coupling in natrualistic conversation at Princeton Neuroscience Institute annual meeting. poster

Teaching

Princeton University, Preceptor
- 2025 Cognitive Psychology (PSY 255)
- 2023 The Life Cycle of Behaviors (PSY 260)
- 2022 Mathematical Tools for Neuroscience (NEU 314)
James Madison University, Teaching Assistant
- 2010 Advanced Programming (CS 239)

Media

Awards

2023 Graduate Student Merit Award from Society for the Neurobiology of Language.
2020 Centennial Fellowship from Princeton University Graduate School.
2012 C.S. Exceptional Graduate Award from James Madison University.
2012 C.S. Dennis Ritche Award from James Madison University.