Ph.D. Candidate
Micaela Portilla Ikergunea Research Center, Office 3.2
Dept. of Linguistics and Basque Studies
University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)
1 Justo Vélez de Elorriaga, Street
01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz
victoria.cano@ehu.eus / vcs.canosanchez@gmail.com
Telephone: +34 945 014 452
I hold a Ph.D. in Linguistics (International, Cum Laude) from the University of the Basque Country. My research focuses on language processing in healthy aging.
Research interests: Neurolinguistics, psycholinguistics, language processing, (healthy) ageing, lexical prediction, agreement computation, executive functions, memory, bilingualism, neuroimaging techniques.
EDUCATION
2020-2025: Ph.D. in Linguistics (Cum Laude), Linguistics and Basque Studies Department, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Basque Country.
2018-2019: M.Sc. (Honors), in Theoretical and Experimental Linguistics, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Basque Country.
2012-2016: B.A. (Honors), Translation and Interpreting Studies, University of Málaga (UMA), Spain.
OTHER ACADEMIC DEGREES
2021- 2023: M.A. (Honors), in Legal Translation, University of Córdoba (UCO), Spain.
2016-2017: M.A. (Honors), in Teacher Training for Compulsory Secondary Education, Baccalaureate, Vocational Training and Language Teaching, University of Alicante (UA), Spain.
2006-2010:Professional Level Music Degree- Clarinet (major) and Piano (complementary); Conservatory “Guitarrista José Tomás” of Alicante, Spain.
WORK EXPERIENCE IN ACADEMIA
Academic employment:
2020-2025: Predoctoral contract for the Training of Research Stuff (FPI, for its Spanish acronym Formación para el Personal Investigador) [FPI; PRE2019-089691]. Research project: Cross-Ling- Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities funded research project (PIs: Dr. Kepa Erdozia and Dr. Mikel Santesteban).
2022: National evaluator of the ANECA-ACREDITA programs (bachelor’s and master’s degrees) for the renewal and initial accreditation of official degrees offered by the Spanish universities.
Teaching experience
Spring 2023: Undergraduate Psycholinguistics.
2017-2018: Spanish lecturer. Tours, France.
Academic service
a) Ad hoc journal reviewer: Journal of Cognition.
b) Conference reviewer: International Symposium of Psycholinguistics, Workshop on Language Processing in Aging.
c) Conference organization: Volunteer at the Null Objects from a Crosslinguistic and Developmental Perspective (NOCropDep) conference (2025); Congress of the Association of Young Linguists (AJL, becaues of its Spanish acronym: Asociación de Jóvenes Lingüistas) (2025); Workshop on Language Processing in Aging (2024); XVI International Symposium of Psycholinguistics (2023).
d) Scientific committee: Workshop on Language Processing in Aging (2024); XVI International Symposium of Psycholinguistics (2023).
PUBLICATIONS & MANUSCRIPTS
Cano-Sánchez, V., Laka, I., Foucart, A. & Santesteban, M. (in prep.). Word anticipation across the lifespan: age-related differences.
Benaiges, K.*, Cano-Sánchez, V.*, & Santesteban, M. (in prep. about to be submitted) Does bilingualism shape predictive language processing? Evidence from lexical and morphosyntactic cues. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition
Cano-Sánchez, V., Laka, I. & Santesteban, M. (under review.) Predictive abilities in language processing in the healthy elderly brain: a focus on lexical and morphosyntactic processing. Journal of Language, Cognition and Neuroscience.
Cano-Sánchez, V. & Fuente-García, P. (2023). Can older adults anticipate words better than younger adults? [outreach article]. Mapping Ignorance, Basque Country. [Available here in English].
Fuente-García, P. & Cano-Sánchez, V. (2023). Bilingualism and cognitive reserve: unlocking the benefits of multilingualism [outreach article]. Mapping Ignorance, Basque Country. [Available here in English].
PRESENTATIONS IN CONFERENCES
Conference talks:
Cano-Sánchez, V., Laka, I., Foucart, A. & Santesteban, M (2025). Eye-tracking the aging mind: predictive processing and cognitive decline. Talk at the XXXIX Asociación de Jóvenes Lingüistas (AJL), Vitoria-Gasteiz, (Basque Country), 1st-3rd October, 2025.
Santesteban, M., Laka, I., Foucart, A. & Cano-Sánchez, V. (2025). Exploring predictive processing and cognitive decline in aging: an eye-tracking approach. Talk at the XVII Symposium of Psycholinguistics, Barcelone (Spain), 26th-28th May 2025.
Cano-Sánchez, V., Laka, I., & Santesteban, M. (2025). Age-related vulnerability and cognitive load on agreement errors: insights from an eye-tracking study in Spanish. Talk at the LIII Symposium of the Spanish Society of Linguistics (SEL 2025), Salamanca, Castilla y León (Spain), 2oth -23rd January 2025.
Cano-Sánchez, V., Laka, I., Reifegerste, J. & Santesteban, M. (2024). Age-related differences in agreement processing: insights from an eye-tracking study. Talk at the AMLaP-Asia conference, Singapore (Asia), 5th -7th December 2024.
Cano-Sánchez, V., Laka, I., Santesteban, M. (2024). Age-related decline in agreement resolution: an eye-tracking study in Spanish. Talk at the International SEPEX Meeting, Almería, Andalucía (Spain), 23rd-25th October 2024.
Cano-Sánchez, V., Laka, I. & Santesteban, M. (2024). Aging effects in prediction and agreement processing. Talk at the Workshop on Language Processing in Healthy Aging, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Basque Country, (Spain), 23rd May 2024.
Cano-Sánchez, V., Laka, I. & Santesteban, M. (2023). Eye tracking agreement processing and attraction errors in aging: A Subject-Verb agreement study in Spanish. Talk at the International Multidisciplinary Symposium for PhD Students (CIMED), San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands (Spain), 22nd-24th March 2023.
Cano-Sánchez, V., Laka, I. y Santesteban, M. (2021). Eyetracking prediction and ungrammaticality detection in the healthy aging brain. Talk at the Architectures and Mechanisms of Language Processing (AMLaP) conference, Paris (France), 2nd-4th S 2021.
Cano-Sánchez, V., Laka, I. & Santesteban, M. (2021) Prediction and ungrammaticality detection: Young vs. old adults. Talk at the International Online Workshop on Language in Healthy and Pathological Aging (Agelang), 29th-30th April 2021. https://agelang.wordpress.com/
Poster presentations:
Cano-Sánchez, V., Laka, I., Foucart, A. & Santesteban, M (2025). Real time word anticipation across the lifespan: age-related differences. Poster at the 17th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Neurobiology of Language (SNL), Washington (EE.UU), 12th-14th September 2025. [Link].
Cano-Sánchez, V., Laka, I., Foucart, A. & Santesteban, M. (2025). Eye-tracking predictive processing and cognitive decline. Poster at the 38th Annual Conference on Human Sentence Processing (HSP), Maryland (EE.UU), 27th-29th March, 2025. [Link].
Cano-Sánchez, V., Laka, I. & Santesteban, M. (2025). Agreement attraction and cognitive load in the aging-brain: eye-tracking evidence from Spanish. Poster at the 38th Annual Conference on Human Sentence Processing (HSP), Maryland (EE.UU), 27th -29th March, 2025. [Link].
Cano-Sánchez, V., Laka, I. Lago, S., Reifegerste, J. & Santesteban, M. (2024). Aging increases agreement errors: eye-tracking older and younger adults. Poster at the the Architectures and Mechanisms of Language Processing (AMLaP), Edinbourgh, Scotland (UK), 5th -7th September 2024. [Link].
Cano-Sánchez, V., Laka, I., Lago, S., Reifegerste, J. y Santesteban, M. (2023). Eyetracking agreement and attraction effects in the aging brain: A Subject-verb agreement comprehension study in Spanish. Poster at the XVI International Symposium of Psycholinguistics, Vitoria-Gasteiz, (Basque Country), 31st-2nd June 2023. [Link].
Cano-Sánchez, V., Laka, I., Lago, S., Reifegerste, J. & Santesteban, M. (2022). Eye tracking subject-verb agreement attraction errors in the bilingual aging brain. Poster at Workshop on L2 Sentence and Discourse Processing, Cologne (Germany), 18 th November 2022. [Link].
Cano-Sánchez, V., Laka, I. & Santesteban, M. (2021). Predictability in the healthy aging brain: an eye-tracking study of sentence comprehension in older adult Spanish speakers. Poster at the XV International Symposium of Psycholinguistics (ISP), Madrid (Spain), 22nd-25th June 2021. [Link].
Cano-Sánchez, V. & Santesteban, M. (2020). Eye tracking syntax, semantics and working memory during sentence processing. Poster at the Cross-Language Interplay in a Bilingual Mind and Erasmus I-Brain event, Moscow (Russia) 10th-12th December 2020. [Link].
Cano-Sánchez, V. & Santesteban, M. (2019). On the interaction between syntax, semantics and working memory during sentence processing: An eye tracking study. Poster at the 6th Summer School on Bi- and Multilingualism, Barcelone (Spain) 17th–20th September 2019. [Link].
SCIENTIFIC OUTREACH
Participation in the 2024 edition of the Bilingual Mind and She Mentoring physical stands for the Week of Science, Technology and Innovation organized by the University of the Basque Country.
Cano-Sánchez, V. (2024). Unlocking the adult brain: a look at that predictive machine [outreack talk]. Week of Science, Technology and Innovation (zientzia club-monologue), University of the Basque Country (Spain), 8th November 2024 [Available here in Spanish]
Participation in the online edition (2024) of the She Mentoring campaign at the European Researchers’ Night, 27th september 2024.
Cano-Sánchez, V. (2024). How do we process language during healthy aging? Changes, invariable aspects and causes [outreach talk]. Seminar series of the Linguistics Department. University of Málaga, Málaga (Spain), 18th April, 2024.
Participation in the 2023 edition of the Bilingual Mind and She Mentoring physical stands for the Week of Science, Technology and Innovation organized by the University of the Basque Country.
Cano-Sánchez, V. (2023). Finalist at the 3 minutes thesis competition [outreach talk]. The Science Week, Nebrija University, Madrid (Spain), 16th-17th November, 2023. [Available here in Spanish. Minute onwards: 46:27].
Cano-Sánchez, V. (2023). The aging brain: a predictive machine with “gains and losses” [outreach talk]. Week of Science, Technology and Innovation , University of the Basque Country, Basque Country (Spain), 12th November, 2023.
Cano-Sánchez, V. What does your research consist of? How does it align with the sustainable developmental goals? (2023). Talk at the III Doctoral Seminar (Planeta Group): sustainable developmental objectives [ODS_EHUagenda2030], Bilbao, Basque Country (Spain), 6th July 2023.
Cano-Sánchez, V. (2022). Language processing in healthy aging [outreach talk], Seminar series of the Gogo Elebiduna Group at the University of the Basque Country, Gipuzkoa (Spain), 6th April 2022.
Cano-Sánchez, V. (2022). SheMentoring: Female scientists you could run into the street [outreach video]. Week of Science, Technology and Innovation , University of the Basque Country, online, November 2022. [Available here in Spanish].
Cano-Sánchez, V. (2022). The stroop effect [outreach video] at the Week of Science, Technology and Innovation , University of the Basque Country, online, November 2022. [Available here in Spanish].
Cano-Sánchez, V. (2021). Can bilinguals predict the upcoming words? [outreach video]. Based on the paper Can bilinguals see it coming? Word anticipation in L2 sentence reading by Foucart et.al. (2014). Red Acelera, Univerisdad de Nebrija, online, March 2021. [Available here in Spanish].
Cano-Sánchez, V. (2021). The stroop effect [outreach video] at the Week of Science, Technology and Innovation, University of the Basque Country, online, November 2021. [Available here in Spanish].
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SEMINARS
Cano-Sanchez, V., Laka, I., & Santesteban, M. (2025). From words to grammar. Predictive mechanisms in healthy aging [colloquium speaker]. BASLA Linguistics seminar series, University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), 10th October, 2025.
Cano-Sánchez, V., Laka, I. & Santesteban, M. (2025). Language prediction across the lifespan: evidence from natural reading & future directions [colloquium speaker]. HiTT Linguistics: Talks on Formal Linguistics seminar series. University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz (Basque Country), 30th October, 2025.
Cano-Sánchez, V., Laka, I. & Santesteban, M. (2025). Predictive processing and agreement attraction computation: a lifespan perspective [colloquium speaker]. IKER-CNRS UMR5478 Research Center, 22nd July, 2025.
Cano-Sánchez, V., Laka, I., & Santesteban, M. (2024). Aging and cognitive load: challenges in agreement processing in Spanish [invited speaker]. GRECIL Lab, eHealth Center, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), Health Sciences department, 15th October 2024.
Cano-Sánchez, V., Laka, I., & Santesteban, M. (2024). Age-related decline and cognitive load in agreement resolution [colloquium speaker]. NeuroADaS Lab, eHealth Center, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), Health Sciences department, 11th October 2024.
Cano-Sánchez, V. (2024). Language processing in healthy aging: gains and losses while tracking the adult brain. Evidence from two comprehension studies about agreement computation in Spanish [invited speaker]. Permanent linguistics seminar, University of Málaga, 19th April 2024 [More information here].
Cano-Sánchez, V., Laka, I., & Santesteban, M. (2022). Eye-tracking agreement processing and attraction errors in native (and non-native) aging population: A subject-verb agreement study in Spanish [colloquium speaker]. Psycholinguistics colloquium, Institut für Romanishce Sprachen und Literaturen, Goethe University, Frankfurt, 1st December, 2022.
Cano-Sánchez, V., Laka I., & Santesteban, M. (2020-2025). Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU). Gogo Elebiduna (regular seminars).
ADDITIONAL ACADEMIC TRAINING
2025: 8th edition of the Summer School of the Institute for Language, Communication and the Brain (ILCB). Centre National de Rencontres Mathématiques (CNRS), Aix Marseille Université (amU). Marseille, France.
2025: Workshop on Bayesian statistics, IKER-CNRS UMR5478 Research Center.
2025: “Statistics for Linguists: Mixed-effects Models” course. University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU).
2024: Summer school “Methods in Language Sciences”: Expert track (categorical & multivariate data analysis with R), University of Ghent, Belgium.
2024: Symposium: How we learn our first language(s). Iker UMR5478 Research Center, Bayonne, France.
2024: Training Seminar: Analysis of Linguistic Data. Where to Start from? Association of Young Linguists, AJL.
2024: Academic debate & discussion around English Medium Higher Education, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU).
2023: Summer school “Training in Experimental Methods (STEM): Eye-tracking and Advanced eye-tracking”, University of Lisbon.
2023: Attendance to AMLaP 2023 at the BCBL, San Sebastián, Basque Country.
2022: Participation at the 9th Linguistik Meetup Berlin-Brandenburg. University of Potsdam, Germany.
2022: Eye-tracking methods course, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU).
2022: Participation at The Bilingualism Matters Research Symposium (BMS). School of philosophy, psychology & Language Sciences, The University of Edinburgh.
2021: Attendance to the 34th Annual CUNY conference on Sentence Processing. University of Pennsylvania, EE.UU.
2020: Participation at the Bilingualism Matters Network Online General Meeting. School of Philosophy, Psychology & Language Sciences, The University of Edinbourgh.
2020: Quantitative methods for behavioral research course, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU).
2020: Participation in the Cross-Language Interplay in a Bilingual Mind Online Symposium. Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia.
2019: 6th Barcelona Summer School on Bilingualism and Multilingualism, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelone (Spain).
2919: Introduction to R with R commander, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU).
PRE-DOCTORAL RESEARCH STAYS
Sept.2024-Oct.2024: Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), Health Sciences Department, Barcelone, Spain.
Oct. 2022 – Dec. 2022: Institut für Romanische Sprachen und Literaturen: Romance Lab, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.
Sept. 2022 – Oct. 2022: Potsdam Research Institute for Multilingualism, University of Potsdam, Berlin, Germany.
AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
2025: Recipient of the AJL Conference Travel Grant for the 39th AJL Conference (€150).
2025: Selected on a competitive basis for the participation in the 8th edition of the Summer School of the Institute for Language, Communication and the Brain (ILCB), at the Centre National de Rencontres Mathématiques (CNRS), Aix-Marseille Université (amU). Marseille (France).
2023: Best Talk in the Arts and Humanities area award at the International Multidisciplinary Symposium for PhD Students (CIMED). San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain (€120).
2022: Academic Excellence Scholarship for Master Studies at the University of Córdoba (UCO), Spain: Awarded a 99% tuition waiver for outstanding master’s performance. Regional Government of Andalusia, Spain (€889).
2019-2025: Four-year full-time Ph.D. fellowship (FPI;PRE2019-089691), (€108.959.250). Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (Spain).
- Includes additional independent funding for international and/or national research stays (€6250).
2017-2018: Teaching assistant fellowship (Tours, France), Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (Spain).
2016-2017: Mobility Program Single Call (Asia-Oceania, Ibero-America, and North America) from the University of Málaga grant. Destination: University of Calgary, Canada (granted; declined).
2014-2015: Erasmus+ grant (Brussels, Belgium). European Union.
MEDIA COVERAGE
Cano-Sánchez. V. (2025). Article published at the local newspaper Diario Información (Alicante, Spain): The myth of growing older. [Available here in Spanish].
Cano-Sánchez, V. (2025). Article published at the local newspaper La Verdad (Murcia, Spain): “The memory of Cristóbal so-known as “Caíllo” inspires his granddaugther’s dissertation”. [Available here in Spanish].
Cano-Sánchez, V. (2025). Article published at Archiletras: Journal of Language. Bi-monthly scientific magazine [Available here in Spanish].
Cano-Sánchez, V. (2025). Radio interview at the local radio esRADIO Valencia (Valencia, Spain). “El procesamiento del lenguaje” [Available here in Spanish].
Cano-Sánchez, V. (2025). Opinion article at the local newspeaper Alicante plaza (Alicante, Spain). “El idioma secreto del cerebro adulto: ¿anticipamos el lenguaje en la vejez? [Available here in Spanish].
Cano-Sánchez, V. (2025). Radio interview at EITB RADIO EUSKADI (Basque Country), “La mecánica del caracol: Lenguaje y envejecimiento” [Available here in Spanish. Min: 24.16 onwards].
Cano-Sánchez, V. (2025). Radio interview at ONDA CERO Bizkaia (Basque Country) “Más de uno” [Available here in Spanish. Min: 11:54-18:08].
Cano-Sánchez, V. (2024). Cover page of the article “How does our brain age?” of the local magazine senior class 5, Spring edition (Provincial Council of Àlava, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Basque Country).
Cano-Sánchez, V. (2023). Radio interview at ONDA CERO Vitoria, “La Brújula de Euskadi” (Vitoria-Gasteiz, Basque Country) [Available here in Spanish. Min: 4 onwards].
PARTICIPATION IN RESEARCH PROJECTS FUNDED THROUGH COMPETITIVE CALLS
The Bilingual Mind
IT1439-22 (2022-2025)
Funding agency: Department of Education, Universities and Science, Basque Government.
Principal investigator: Itziar Laka Mugarza.
Members: Miren Azkarate, Beatriz Fernández, Mikel Santesteban, Kepa Erdocia, Adam Zawiszewski, Irene De la Cruz Pavía, Ane Berro, Ane Odria, Miren Arantzeta, Itziar San Martín, Svetlana Zimnukhova, Beatriz Gómez, Marta de Pedis, Noèlia Sanahuja, Victoria Cano, Marta Sánchez, Patricia Fuente.
Budget: 173.000 €
Cross-linguistic influence in language learning, processing and aging (CROSSLANGUAGING)
PID2021-124056NB-I00 (2022-2024)
Funding agency: Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (Spain).
Principal investigators: Mikel Santesteban & Kepa Erdozia.
Members: Victoria Cano, Noèlia Sanahuja, Eduardo Navarrete and Anna Hatzidaki
Budget: 51.424 €
Cross-Ling: Cross-linguistic activation effects in bilingual language processing and learning
PGC2018-097970-B-100 (2019-2021)
Entidad Financiadora: Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades.
Investigadora Principal: Kepa Erdozia & Mikel Santesteban.
Members: Svetlana Zimnukhova, Anna Hatzidaki, Miren Arantzeta, Noèlia Sanahuja, Victoria Cano.
Budget: 60.500 €
The Bilingual Mind
IT1169-19 (2019-2021)
Funding agency: Department of Education, Universities and Science, Basque Government.
Principal investigator: Itziar Laka Mugarza.
Members: Miren Azkarate, Xabier Alberdi, Beatriz Fernández, Maitena Echebarria, Mikel Santesteban, Kepa Erdocia, Adam Zawiszewski, Miren Arantzeta, Ane Berro, Ane Odria, Luis Pastor, David Lindemann, Sergio López-Sancio, Gillen Martínez de la Hidalga, Svetlana Zimnukhova, Marta de Pedis, Noèlia Sanahuja,Victoria Cano.
Budget: 202.300 €
LANGUAGES:
Spanish/Valencian: native speaker; English: C1 (CAE, Cambridge); French: C1 (DALF, Alliance Française); Italian: C1 (CELI 4, Università di Perugia); German: basic notions (A2).
