Cohen-Goldberg, A., Emmorey, K., Caselli, N., and Sehyr, Z. (2026). Sign Language Databases and Resources. In Nesi, H., and Milin, P. International Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics, Third Edition. Elsevier, ISBN: 9780323955041.
Campbell, E.E., Sehyr, Z. Pontecorvo, E. Cohen-Goldberg, G., Emmorey, K. & Caselli, N. (2025). Iconicity as an Organizing Principle of the Lexicon. PNAS. [Authors accepted copy PDF]
Kezar, L., Pontecorvo, E., Daniels, A., Baer, C., Ferster, C., Berger, L., Thomason, J., Sehyr, Z. & Caselli, N. (2023). The Sem-Lex Benchmark: Modeling ASL Signs and their phonemes. The 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS ’23), New York, NY, USA, October 22–25, 2023. https://www.esann.org/sites/default/files/proceedings/2023/ES2023-83.pdf
Kezar, L., Carlin, R., Srinivasan, T., Sehyr, Z., Caselli, N., & Thomason, J. (2023). Exploring Strategies for Modeling Sign Language Phonology. Proceedings of the European Symposium on Artificial Neural Networks (ESANN '23), Computational Intelligence and Machine Learning. Bruges, Belgium, October 4-5, 2023. https://www.esann.org/sites/default/files/proceedings/2023/ES2023-83.pdf
Kezar, L., Thomason, J. & Sehyr, Z., (2023). Improving Sign Recognition with Phonology. Proceedings of the EACL: European Chapter of the Association for Computational Linguistics. doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2302.05759
Sehyr, S. Z., Midgley, K. J., Holcomb, P. J., & Emmorey, K. (2023). Orthographic ERP priming effects between English print and American Sign Language fingerspelling fonts. Neurobiology of Language, 4 (2): 361–381. doi.org/10.1162/nol_a_00104 *OPEN ACCESS*
Sehyr, S. Z., & Emmorey, K. (2022). Contribution of lexical quality and sign language skill to reading comprehension. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education. doi.org/10.1093/deafed/enac018 [Article URL author copy]
Sehyr, S. Z., & Emmorey, K. (2021). The effects of multiple linguistic variables on picture naming in American Sign Language. Behavior Research Methods. doi.org/10.3758/s13428-021-01751-x
Sehyr, S. Z., Caselli, N., Cohen-Goldberg, A., & Emmorey, K. (2021). The ASL-LEX 2.0 Project: A Database of Lexical and Phonological Properties for 2,723 Signs in American Sign Language. Journal of Deaf Studies & Deaf Education, 26(2), 263-277. doi.org/10.1093/deafed/enaa038 Project's OSF page] *OPEN ACCESS* ASL-LEX.org
Sehyr, S. Z., Cohen-Goldberg, A., Emmorey, K., & Caselli, N. (2021). An interactive visual database for American Sign Language reveals how signs are organized in the mind. The Conversation, April 6, 2021. [Online access: article 156741]
Sehyr, S. Z., Holcomb, P. J., Midgley, K. J., Emmorey, K., Plaut, D., & Behrmann, M. (2020). Unique N170 signatures to words and faces in deaf ASL signers reflect experience-specific adaptations during early visual processing. Neuropsychologia, 141. doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107414 [uncorrected proof]
Schaller, F., Lee, B., Sehyr, Sevcikova Z., O’Grady Farnady, C., & Emmorey, K. (2020). Cross-linguistic metaphor priming in ASL-English bilinguals: Effects of the Double Mapping Constraint. Sign Language & Linguistics, 23 (1/2) Special Issue in Memory of Irit Meir, 96-111. doi.org/10.1075/sll.00045.sch [authors' private PDF]
Thompson, B., Perlman, M., Lupyan, G., Sehyr, Sevcikova Z., & Emmorey, K. (2020). A Data-driven Approach to the Semantics of Iconicity in American Sign Language and English. Language and Cognition, 12, 182-202. doi:10.1017/langcog.2019.52 doi.org/10.1017/langcog.2019.52 *OPEN ACCESS*
Sehyr, S. Z. and Emmorey, K. (2019). The perceived mapping between form and meaning in American Sign Language depends on linguistic knowledge and task: Evidence from iconicity and transparency judgments. Language and Cognition, 11(2) Special Issue on Iconicity, 208-234. doi.org/10.1017/langcog.2019.18
Weisberg, J. Casey, S., Sehyr, Sevcikova Z., & Emmorey, K. (2019) Second language acquisition of American Sign Language influences co-speech gesture production. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 23(3), 473-482. doi.org/10.1017/S1366728919000208
Sehyr, S. Z., Giezen, M. R., & Emmorey, K. (2018). Comparing semantic fluency in American Sign Language and English. Journal of Deaf Studies & Deaf Education 23(4). doi.org/10.1093/deafed/eny013
Sehyr, S. Z., Nicodemus, B., Petrich, J., & Emmorey, K. (2018). Referring strategies in American Sign Language and English (with co-speech gesture): The role of modality in referring to non-nameable objects. Applied Psycholinguistics 39(5). 961-987. doi.org/10.1017/S0142716418000061
Emmorey, K., Midgley, K., Cohen, K., Sehyr, Sevcikova Z. & Holcomb, P. (2017) The N170 ERP component differs in laterality, distribution, and association with continuous reading measures for deaf and hearing readers. Neuropsychologia, 106, 298–309. doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.10.001
Meade, G., Midgley, K., Sehyr, Sevcikova Z., Holcomb, P., & Emmorey, K. (2017) Implicit co-activation of American Sign Language in deaf readers: An ERP study. Brain and Language 170, 50-61. doi.org/10.1016/j.bandl.2017.03.004
Keane, J., Sehyr, Sevcikova Z., Emmorey, K., and Brentari, D. (2017) A Theory-Driven Model of Handshape Similarity. Phonology, 34: Thematic issue: Computational phonology, 34(2), 221-241. doi.org/10.1017/S0952675717000124
Caselli, N., Sehyr, Sevcikova Z., Cohen-Goldberg, A., & Emmorey, K. (2017). ASL-LEX: A lexical database of American Sign Language. Behavior Research Methods 49(2). 784-801. doi.org/10.3758/s1342 [ASL-LEX.org]
Sehyr, S. Z., Petrich, J., & Emmorey, K. (2016). Fingerspelled and printed words are recoded into a speech-based code for short-term memory. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 22(1), 72-87. doi.org/10.1093/deafed/enw068
Sehyr, Sevcikova Z. & Cormier, K. (2015). Perceptual categorization of handling handshapes in British Sign Language. Language and Cognition, 8(4). 501-532. doi.org/10.1017/langcog.2015.4
Cormier, K., Smith, S., & Sehyr, Sevcikova Z. (2015). Rethinking Constructed Action, Sign Language & Linguistics, 18:2, pp. 167-204. doi.org/10.1075/sll.18.2.01cor
Sevcikova, Z. (2013) Categorical versus gradient properties of handling handshapes in British Sign Language (BSL). Doctoral dissertation, University College London.
Cormier, K., S. Smith & Sevcikova, Z. (2013) Predicate structures, gesture, and simultaneity in the representation of action in British Sign Language: Evidence from deaf children and adults. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 18 (3), 370-390. doi: 10.1093/deafed/ent020
Cormier, K., Quinto-Pozos, D., Sevcikova, Z., & Schembri, A. (2012). Lexicalization and de-lexicalization processes in sign languages: Comparing depicting constructions and viewpoint gestures. Language and Communication, 32 (4), 329–348. doi: 10.1016/j.langcom.2012.09.004
Invited lectures and plenaries:
Sehyr, Z. (2024). How are words represented in the mind? Department of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, Lamar University, Apr 26th, 2024. Invited by Diane M. Clark.
Sehyr, Sevcikova, Z. (2022). Mapping the signed language lexicon: How are signs organized in the mind? Invited talk given at the CNRS LPL Speech & Language Laboratory, Aix-Marseille University, France.
Sehyr, Sevcikova, Z. (2022). Mapping the mental lexicon: How are signs organized in the mind? Invited talk given at the Edinburgh University Linguistics Society (EULingSoc)
Sehyr, Sevcikova Z. (2021). Give me a sign: Finding rhymes in ASL. A public talk presented at “Peers’n’Pubs” Taste of Science Festival, June 25th, 2021 [online]. Event recording available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJrhSt1QqGY
Sehyr, Sevcikova Z. (2018, 2019, 2020). Sign Language Aphasia. Invited lecture given to the Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences (SLHS539), San Diego State University. Invited by Dr. Stephanie Ries. [Lecture slides here]
Sehyr, Sevcikova Z. (2017). ASL-LEX: A Lexical database for American Sign Language. Paper presented at 2017 Linguistic Institute, Language Across Space and Time: Workshop on American Sign Language (ASL) Research Resources. LSA Summer Institute, University of Kentucky, Lexington, July 2017. Invited by Dr. Diane Lillo-Martin.
Sehyr, Sevcikova, Z., Petrich, J., & Emmorey, K. (2017). Fingerspelled and printed words are recoded into a speech-based code in short-term memory. Presented at Symposium: The Phonology of Sign Language Fingerspelling: Beyond Handshape Sequences. Linguistic Society of America (LSA) Annual Meeting, Austin, TX.
Sevcikova Sehyr, Z. (2016) Hemispheric lateralization of early ERP components in deaf and hearing individuals. Department of Linguistics Seminar Series, UBC, Vancouver, Canada, May 18. http://linguistics.ubc.ca/events/event/zed-sehyrs-research-seminar/
Sevcikova Sehyr, Z. (2016) Is the lateralization of early visual encoding of words and faces affected by sign language expertise and deafness? VL2 Student Network webinar, Nov 4.
Sevcikova, Sehyr, Z. (2012) Report on DCAL research activities and postgraduate study at UCL. Department of Deaf Studies, Faculty of Philosophy, Charles University Prague, Apr 13. http://ujkn.ff.cuni.cz/?q=en/node/652
Sevcikova, Z. (2010) Categorical perception and production of handling handshapes in BSL: evidence from BSL signing and hearing gesture. Plenary lecture presented at “Gesture – Evolution, Brain and Linguistic Structures” international conference, ISGS, European University of Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany, Jul 2010.
Conference presentations:
Kezar, L., Munikote, N., Zeng, Z., Sehyr, Z., Caselli, N., and Thomason, J. (2025). The American Sign Language Knowledge Graph: Infusing ASL Models with Linguistic Knowledge. Paper presented at NAACL 2025 Findings. [Paper PDF]
Kezar, L., Sehyr, Z., & Thomason, J. (2025). Using machine learning to build an inventory of sign components. Presented at Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research (TISLR15), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, January 2025. [Poster PDF]
Sehyr. Z., Perea, M. MacSweeney, M., Vergara-Martinez, M., and Gutierrez-Sigut, E. (2024). Do deaf readers pre-activate phonology during sentence comprehension? A stage presentation at The Psychonomic Society 65th Annual Meeting, November 21-24. New York City, USA.
Sehyr, Z., Ortega, S., & Midgley, K. J. (2023). Beyond central vision: Peripheral word and face processing abilities in deaf signers. Presented at Society for the Neurobiology of Language 15th Annual Meeting, October 24-26, Marseille, France.
Sehyr, Sevcikova Z. & Villwock, A. (2022). How does knowledge of one sign language influence perception of iconicity in another sign language? Evidence from deaf signers of German and American Sign Languages. Paper presented at the 13th International Colloquium on Iconicity in Language & Literature, Sorbonne University, Paris, France. May 31–Jun 2, 2022.
Sehyr, Sevcikova Z., Terhune-Cotter, B. P., Farnady, L. & Emmorey, K. (2021). Iconic Structure Mapping Between Semantic Features and Phonology in American Sign Language (ASL). Paper presented at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Nov 4-7, 2021.
Sehyr, Sevcikova Z. (2021). Mapping the semantic structure of American Sign Language lexicon using the ASL-LEX Database. Paper presented at the Center for Research in Language (CRL) Colloquium, University of California, San Diego, 23rd Feb.
Saunders, E., Sehyr, Sevcikova, Z. (2021) Examining spelling error patterns in ASL Fingerspelling and English. Paper presented at the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading (SSSR), Online, July 13-16, 2021.
Sehyr, Sevcikova, Z., & Emmorey, K. (2021) Assessing the contribution of lexical quality and sign language variables to reading comprehension in deaf readers. Presented as part of Symposium on Reading and Visual Recognition Skills in Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Signers at the Twenty-Eight Annual Meeting, Society for the Scientific Study of Reading (SSSR), Online, July 13-16, 2021
Sehyr, Sevcikova, Z., & Emmorey, K. (2019). Lexical factors that influence sign retrieval: A large-scale ASL picture-naming study. Poster presented at the 13th Conference in Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research (TISLR13), Hamburg, Germany, 26-28 Sep, 2019.
Sehyr, Sevcikova, Z., Edinger, R. & Emmorey, K. (2019). Quantifying the spatial and temporal properties of nouns and verbs in American Sign Language using Microsoft Kinect. Poster presented at the 13th Conference in Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research (TISLR13), Hamburg, Germany, 26-28 Sep, 2019.
Sehyr, Sevcikova, Z., (2019) The nature of spelling errors in deaf and hearing adults. Paper presented at the 60th Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, November 14-17, 2019, Montréal, QC, Canada. [Slides PDF]
Sehyr, Sevcikova, Z., & Emmorey, K. (2018). Assessing the contribution of lexical quality variables to reading comprehension in deaf and hearing readers. Paper presented at the 59th Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Nov 15-18, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
Sehyr, Sevcikova, Z., Renna, J., Osmond, S., Midgley, K.J., Holcomb, P.J., & Emmorey, K. (2018). Priming effects between fingerspelled fonts and printed letters. Poster presented at The Tenth Annual Meeting of the Society for the Neurobiology of Language, Québec City, Canada, Aug 16–18, 2018. *awarded NIH / SNL Travel Award
Sevcikova Sehyr, Z., Fisher, D., & Emmorey, K. (2017) The influence of sign language experience on iconicity judgments. Psychonomic Society’s 58th Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC, Nov 8-12.
Cormier, K. and Sevcikova Sehyr, Z. (2017). Viewpoint constructions in British Sign Language, co-speech gesture and silent gesture. Presented at the 91st Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Society of America, Austin, TX, January 5-8.
Sevcikova Sehyr, Z., Emmorey, K., Midgley, K., & Holcomb, P. (2016). Hemispheric Lateralization of Early ERP Components in Deaf and Hearing Readers With Low and High Vocabulary Size. Poster presented at the Psychonomic Society 57th Annual Meeting, Boston, November 17-20.
Sevcikova Sehyr, Z., Emmorey, K., Midgley, K., & Holcomb, P. (2016). Hemispheric lateralization of early ERP components in deaf and hearing readers with low and high vocabulary size. Poster presented at the 8th Annual Meeting for the Neurobiology of Language, London, England, UK, August 17-20, 2016
Cormier, K., & Sevcikova Sehyr, Z. (2016). Viewpoint strategies: manual and non-manual articulators in co-speech gesture and silent gesture. Paper to be presented at the 7th Conference of the International Society for Gesture Studies, Paris, 18-22 July 2016.
Sevcikova Sehyr, Z. Midgley, K. J., Emmorey, K., Holcomb, P. J., Behrmann, M., Plaut, D. C. (2016). Lateralization of the N170 for word and face processing in deaf ASL signers. Poster presented at the Cognitive Neuroscience Society Annual Meeting, New York, April 2-5 2016. [pdf]
Sevcikova Sehyr, Z. and Emmorey, K. (2016) Representation of print and fingerspelling in short-term memory. Paper presented at The 12th Conference on Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research (TISLR), Melbourne, Jan 4-7.
Sevcikova Sehyr, Z., Caselli, N., Cohen-Goldberg, A., & Emmorey, K. (2016). ASL-LEX: A lexical database of American Sign Language. Poster presented at The 12th Conference on Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research (TISLR), Melbourne, Jan 4-7
*awarded Early Career Award by the Sign Language Linguistics Society*
Sevcikova Sehyr, Z. and Emmorey, K. (2014). Representation of print and fingerspelling in short-term memory. Poster presented at Psychonomic Society’s 55th Annual Meeting, Long Beach, California, USA, Nov 20-23, 2014. [pdf]
Sevcikova Sehyr, Z. & Emmorey, K. (2014) Short-term memory for ASL fingerspelling and print. Paper presented at the Center for Research in Language colloquium, UCSD, San Diego, April 29th 2014. [pdf_]
Sevcikova Sehyr, Z. & Emmorey, K. (2014) The role of co-speech gesture in description of non-nameable shapes. Paper presented at The 6th Conference of the International Society for Gesture Studies, University of California, San Diego, July 8-11, 2014.
Sevcikova, Z. (2013) Are handling constructions in BSL conventional? Evidence from encoding of graspable object sizes in handling constructions. Paper presented at the Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research (TISLR11), London, July 11.
Sevcikova, Z. (2012) Structural complexities of handling handshapes in BSL: experimental evidence from deaf signers and hearing gesturers. 34th DGfS Meeting, Language as a Complex System; Experimental Studies in Sign Language workshop, Frankfurt, Mar 7.
*awarded 2nd place in Best Student Paper Competition by the International Society for Gesture Studies*
Sevcikova, Z. (2010) Categorical perception & production of handling handshapes in BSL. Paper presented at 4th UK Cognitive Linguistics Conference, U. of Hertfordshire.
Sevcikova, Z. (2010) Categorical vs. Gradient Properties of Handling Signs in BSL. Poster presented at TISLR conference, Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA.
Campbell, E.E., Sehyr, Z. Pontecorvo, E. Cohen-Goldberg, G., Emmorey, K. & Caselli, N. (2025). Iconicity as an Organizing Principle of the Lexicon. PNAS. [Authors accepted copy PDF]
Kezar, L., Pontecorvo, E., Daniels, A., Baer, C., Ferster, C., Berger, L., Thomason, J., Sehyr, Z. & Caselli, N. (2023). The Sem-Lex Benchmark: Modeling ASL Signs and their phonemes. The 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS ’23), New York, NY, USA, October 22–25, 2023. https://www.esann.org/sites/default/files/proceedings/2023/ES2023-83.pdf
Kezar, L., Carlin, R., Srinivasan, T., Sehyr, Z., Caselli, N., & Thomason, J. (2023). Exploring Strategies for Modeling Sign Language Phonology. Proceedings of the European Symposium on Artificial Neural Networks (ESANN '23), Computational Intelligence and Machine Learning. Bruges, Belgium, October 4-5, 2023. https://www.esann.org/sites/default/files/proceedings/2023/ES2023-83.pdf
Kezar, L., Thomason, J. & Sehyr, Z., (2023). Improving Sign Recognition with Phonology. Proceedings of the EACL: European Chapter of the Association for Computational Linguistics. doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2302.05759
Sehyr, S. Z., Midgley, K. J., Holcomb, P. J., & Emmorey, K. (2023). Orthographic ERP priming effects between English print and American Sign Language fingerspelling fonts. Neurobiology of Language, 4 (2): 361–381. doi.org/10.1162/nol_a_00104 *OPEN ACCESS*
Sehyr, S. Z., & Emmorey, K. (2022). Contribution of lexical quality and sign language skill to reading comprehension. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education. doi.org/10.1093/deafed/enac018 [Article URL author copy]
Sehyr, S. Z., & Emmorey, K. (2021). The effects of multiple linguistic variables on picture naming in American Sign Language. Behavior Research Methods. doi.org/10.3758/s13428-021-01751-x
Sehyr, S. Z., Caselli, N., Cohen-Goldberg, A., & Emmorey, K. (2021). The ASL-LEX 2.0 Project: A Database of Lexical and Phonological Properties for 2,723 Signs in American Sign Language. Journal of Deaf Studies & Deaf Education, 26(2), 263-277. doi.org/10.1093/deafed/enaa038 Project's OSF page] *OPEN ACCESS* ASL-LEX.org
Sehyr, S. Z., Cohen-Goldberg, A., Emmorey, K., & Caselli, N. (2021). An interactive visual database for American Sign Language reveals how signs are organized in the mind. The Conversation, April 6, 2021. [Online access: article 156741]
Sehyr, S. Z., Holcomb, P. J., Midgley, K. J., Emmorey, K., Plaut, D., & Behrmann, M. (2020). Unique N170 signatures to words and faces in deaf ASL signers reflect experience-specific adaptations during early visual processing. Neuropsychologia, 141. doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107414 [uncorrected proof]
Schaller, F., Lee, B., Sehyr, Sevcikova Z., O’Grady Farnady, C., & Emmorey, K. (2020). Cross-linguistic metaphor priming in ASL-English bilinguals: Effects of the Double Mapping Constraint. Sign Language & Linguistics, 23 (1/2) Special Issue in Memory of Irit Meir, 96-111. doi.org/10.1075/sll.00045.sch [authors' private PDF]
Thompson, B., Perlman, M., Lupyan, G., Sehyr, Sevcikova Z., & Emmorey, K. (2020). A Data-driven Approach to the Semantics of Iconicity in American Sign Language and English. Language and Cognition, 12, 182-202. doi:10.1017/langcog.2019.52 doi.org/10.1017/langcog.2019.52 *OPEN ACCESS*
Sehyr, S. Z. and Emmorey, K. (2019). The perceived mapping between form and meaning in American Sign Language depends on linguistic knowledge and task: Evidence from iconicity and transparency judgments. Language and Cognition, 11(2) Special Issue on Iconicity, 208-234. doi.org/10.1017/langcog.2019.18
Weisberg, J. Casey, S., Sehyr, Sevcikova Z., & Emmorey, K. (2019) Second language acquisition of American Sign Language influences co-speech gesture production. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 23(3), 473-482. doi.org/10.1017/S1366728919000208
Sehyr, S. Z., Giezen, M. R., & Emmorey, K. (2018). Comparing semantic fluency in American Sign Language and English. Journal of Deaf Studies & Deaf Education 23(4). doi.org/10.1093/deafed/eny013
Sehyr, S. Z., Nicodemus, B., Petrich, J., & Emmorey, K. (2018). Referring strategies in American Sign Language and English (with co-speech gesture): The role of modality in referring to non-nameable objects. Applied Psycholinguistics 39(5). 961-987. doi.org/10.1017/S0142716418000061
Emmorey, K., Midgley, K., Cohen, K., Sehyr, Sevcikova Z. & Holcomb, P. (2017) The N170 ERP component differs in laterality, distribution, and association with continuous reading measures for deaf and hearing readers. Neuropsychologia, 106, 298–309. doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.10.001
Meade, G., Midgley, K., Sehyr, Sevcikova Z., Holcomb, P., & Emmorey, K. (2017) Implicit co-activation of American Sign Language in deaf readers: An ERP study. Brain and Language 170, 50-61. doi.org/10.1016/j.bandl.2017.03.004
Keane, J., Sehyr, Sevcikova Z., Emmorey, K., and Brentari, D. (2017) A Theory-Driven Model of Handshape Similarity. Phonology, 34: Thematic issue: Computational phonology, 34(2), 221-241. doi.org/10.1017/S0952675717000124
Caselli, N., Sehyr, Sevcikova Z., Cohen-Goldberg, A., & Emmorey, K. (2017). ASL-LEX: A lexical database of American Sign Language. Behavior Research Methods 49(2). 784-801. doi.org/10.3758/s1342 [ASL-LEX.org]
Sehyr, S. Z., Petrich, J., & Emmorey, K. (2016). Fingerspelled and printed words are recoded into a speech-based code for short-term memory. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 22(1), 72-87. doi.org/10.1093/deafed/enw068
Sehyr, Sevcikova Z. & Cormier, K. (2015). Perceptual categorization of handling handshapes in British Sign Language. Language and Cognition, 8(4). 501-532. doi.org/10.1017/langcog.2015.4
Cormier, K., Smith, S., & Sehyr, Sevcikova Z. (2015). Rethinking Constructed Action, Sign Language & Linguistics, 18:2, pp. 167-204. doi.org/10.1075/sll.18.2.01cor
Sevcikova, Z. (2013) Categorical versus gradient properties of handling handshapes in British Sign Language (BSL). Doctoral dissertation, University College London.
Cormier, K., S. Smith & Sevcikova, Z. (2013) Predicate structures, gesture, and simultaneity in the representation of action in British Sign Language: Evidence from deaf children and adults. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 18 (3), 370-390. doi: 10.1093/deafed/ent020
Cormier, K., Quinto-Pozos, D., Sevcikova, Z., & Schembri, A. (2012). Lexicalization and de-lexicalization processes in sign languages: Comparing depicting constructions and viewpoint gestures. Language and Communication, 32 (4), 329–348. doi: 10.1016/j.langcom.2012.09.004
Invited lectures and plenaries:
Sehyr, Z. (2024). How are words represented in the mind? Department of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, Lamar University, Apr 26th, 2024. Invited by Diane M. Clark.
Sehyr, Sevcikova, Z. (2022). Mapping the signed language lexicon: How are signs organized in the mind? Invited talk given at the CNRS LPL Speech & Language Laboratory, Aix-Marseille University, France.
Sehyr, Sevcikova, Z. (2022). Mapping the mental lexicon: How are signs organized in the mind? Invited talk given at the Edinburgh University Linguistics Society (EULingSoc)
Sehyr, Sevcikova Z. (2021). Give me a sign: Finding rhymes in ASL. A public talk presented at “Peers’n’Pubs” Taste of Science Festival, June 25th, 2021 [online]. Event recording available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJrhSt1QqGY
Sehyr, Sevcikova Z. (2018, 2019, 2020). Sign Language Aphasia. Invited lecture given to the Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences (SLHS539), San Diego State University. Invited by Dr. Stephanie Ries. [Lecture slides here]
Sehyr, Sevcikova Z. (2017). ASL-LEX: A Lexical database for American Sign Language. Paper presented at 2017 Linguistic Institute, Language Across Space and Time: Workshop on American Sign Language (ASL) Research Resources. LSA Summer Institute, University of Kentucky, Lexington, July 2017. Invited by Dr. Diane Lillo-Martin.
Sehyr, Sevcikova, Z., Petrich, J., & Emmorey, K. (2017). Fingerspelled and printed words are recoded into a speech-based code in short-term memory. Presented at Symposium: The Phonology of Sign Language Fingerspelling: Beyond Handshape Sequences. Linguistic Society of America (LSA) Annual Meeting, Austin, TX.
Sevcikova Sehyr, Z. (2016) Hemispheric lateralization of early ERP components in deaf and hearing individuals. Department of Linguistics Seminar Series, UBC, Vancouver, Canada, May 18. http://linguistics.ubc.ca/events/event/zed-sehyrs-research-seminar/
Sevcikova Sehyr, Z. (2016) Is the lateralization of early visual encoding of words and faces affected by sign language expertise and deafness? VL2 Student Network webinar, Nov 4.
Sevcikova, Sehyr, Z. (2012) Report on DCAL research activities and postgraduate study at UCL. Department of Deaf Studies, Faculty of Philosophy, Charles University Prague, Apr 13. http://ujkn.ff.cuni.cz/?q=en/node/652
Sevcikova, Z. (2010) Categorical perception and production of handling handshapes in BSL: evidence from BSL signing and hearing gesture. Plenary lecture presented at “Gesture – Evolution, Brain and Linguistic Structures” international conference, ISGS, European University of Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany, Jul 2010.
Conference presentations:
Kezar, L., Munikote, N., Zeng, Z., Sehyr, Z., Caselli, N., and Thomason, J. (2025). The American Sign Language Knowledge Graph: Infusing ASL Models with Linguistic Knowledge. Paper presented at NAACL 2025 Findings. [Paper PDF]
Kezar, L., Sehyr, Z., & Thomason, J. (2025). Using machine learning to build an inventory of sign components. Presented at Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research (TISLR15), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, January 2025. [Poster PDF]
Sehyr. Z., Perea, M. MacSweeney, M., Vergara-Martinez, M., and Gutierrez-Sigut, E. (2024). Do deaf readers pre-activate phonology during sentence comprehension? A stage presentation at The Psychonomic Society 65th Annual Meeting, November 21-24. New York City, USA.
Sehyr, Z., Ortega, S., & Midgley, K. J. (2023). Beyond central vision: Peripheral word and face processing abilities in deaf signers. Presented at Society for the Neurobiology of Language 15th Annual Meeting, October 24-26, Marseille, France.
Sehyr, Sevcikova Z. & Villwock, A. (2022). How does knowledge of one sign language influence perception of iconicity in another sign language? Evidence from deaf signers of German and American Sign Languages. Paper presented at the 13th International Colloquium on Iconicity in Language & Literature, Sorbonne University, Paris, France. May 31–Jun 2, 2022.
Sehyr, Sevcikova Z., Terhune-Cotter, B. P., Farnady, L. & Emmorey, K. (2021). Iconic Structure Mapping Between Semantic Features and Phonology in American Sign Language (ASL). Paper presented at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Nov 4-7, 2021.
Sehyr, Sevcikova Z. (2021). Mapping the semantic structure of American Sign Language lexicon using the ASL-LEX Database. Paper presented at the Center for Research in Language (CRL) Colloquium, University of California, San Diego, 23rd Feb.
Saunders, E., Sehyr, Sevcikova, Z. (2021) Examining spelling error patterns in ASL Fingerspelling and English. Paper presented at the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading (SSSR), Online, July 13-16, 2021.
Sehyr, Sevcikova, Z., & Emmorey, K. (2021) Assessing the contribution of lexical quality and sign language variables to reading comprehension in deaf readers. Presented as part of Symposium on Reading and Visual Recognition Skills in Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Signers at the Twenty-Eight Annual Meeting, Society for the Scientific Study of Reading (SSSR), Online, July 13-16, 2021
Sehyr, Sevcikova, Z., & Emmorey, K. (2019). Lexical factors that influence sign retrieval: A large-scale ASL picture-naming study. Poster presented at the 13th Conference in Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research (TISLR13), Hamburg, Germany, 26-28 Sep, 2019.
Sehyr, Sevcikova, Z., Edinger, R. & Emmorey, K. (2019). Quantifying the spatial and temporal properties of nouns and verbs in American Sign Language using Microsoft Kinect. Poster presented at the 13th Conference in Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research (TISLR13), Hamburg, Germany, 26-28 Sep, 2019.
Sehyr, Sevcikova, Z., (2019) The nature of spelling errors in deaf and hearing adults. Paper presented at the 60th Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, November 14-17, 2019, Montréal, QC, Canada. [Slides PDF]
Sehyr, Sevcikova, Z., & Emmorey, K. (2018). Assessing the contribution of lexical quality variables to reading comprehension in deaf and hearing readers. Paper presented at the 59th Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Nov 15-18, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
Sehyr, Sevcikova, Z., Renna, J., Osmond, S., Midgley, K.J., Holcomb, P.J., & Emmorey, K. (2018). Priming effects between fingerspelled fonts and printed letters. Poster presented at The Tenth Annual Meeting of the Society for the Neurobiology of Language, Québec City, Canada, Aug 16–18, 2018. *awarded NIH / SNL Travel Award
Sevcikova Sehyr, Z., Fisher, D., & Emmorey, K. (2017) The influence of sign language experience on iconicity judgments. Psychonomic Society’s 58th Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC, Nov 8-12.
Cormier, K. and Sevcikova Sehyr, Z. (2017). Viewpoint constructions in British Sign Language, co-speech gesture and silent gesture. Presented at the 91st Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Society of America, Austin, TX, January 5-8.
Sevcikova Sehyr, Z., Emmorey, K., Midgley, K., & Holcomb, P. (2016). Hemispheric Lateralization of Early ERP Components in Deaf and Hearing Readers With Low and High Vocabulary Size. Poster presented at the Psychonomic Society 57th Annual Meeting, Boston, November 17-20.
Sevcikova Sehyr, Z., Emmorey, K., Midgley, K., & Holcomb, P. (2016). Hemispheric lateralization of early ERP components in deaf and hearing readers with low and high vocabulary size. Poster presented at the 8th Annual Meeting for the Neurobiology of Language, London, England, UK, August 17-20, 2016
Cormier, K., & Sevcikova Sehyr, Z. (2016). Viewpoint strategies: manual and non-manual articulators in co-speech gesture and silent gesture. Paper to be presented at the 7th Conference of the International Society for Gesture Studies, Paris, 18-22 July 2016.
Sevcikova Sehyr, Z. Midgley, K. J., Emmorey, K., Holcomb, P. J., Behrmann, M., Plaut, D. C. (2016). Lateralization of the N170 for word and face processing in deaf ASL signers. Poster presented at the Cognitive Neuroscience Society Annual Meeting, New York, April 2-5 2016. [pdf]
Sevcikova Sehyr, Z. and Emmorey, K. (2016) Representation of print and fingerspelling in short-term memory. Paper presented at The 12th Conference on Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research (TISLR), Melbourne, Jan 4-7.
Sevcikova Sehyr, Z., Caselli, N., Cohen-Goldberg, A., & Emmorey, K. (2016). ASL-LEX: A lexical database of American Sign Language. Poster presented at The 12th Conference on Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research (TISLR), Melbourne, Jan 4-7
*awarded Early Career Award by the Sign Language Linguistics Society*
Sevcikova Sehyr, Z. and Emmorey, K. (2014). Representation of print and fingerspelling in short-term memory. Poster presented at Psychonomic Society’s 55th Annual Meeting, Long Beach, California, USA, Nov 20-23, 2014. [pdf]
Sevcikova Sehyr, Z. & Emmorey, K. (2014) Short-term memory for ASL fingerspelling and print. Paper presented at the Center for Research in Language colloquium, UCSD, San Diego, April 29th 2014. [pdf_]
Sevcikova Sehyr, Z. & Emmorey, K. (2014) The role of co-speech gesture in description of non-nameable shapes. Paper presented at The 6th Conference of the International Society for Gesture Studies, University of California, San Diego, July 8-11, 2014.
Sevcikova, Z. (2013) Are handling constructions in BSL conventional? Evidence from encoding of graspable object sizes in handling constructions. Paper presented at the Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research (TISLR11), London, July 11.
Sevcikova, Z. (2012) Structural complexities of handling handshapes in BSL: experimental evidence from deaf signers and hearing gesturers. 34th DGfS Meeting, Language as a Complex System; Experimental Studies in Sign Language workshop, Frankfurt, Mar 7.
*awarded 2nd place in Best Student Paper Competition by the International Society for Gesture Studies*
Sevcikova, Z. (2010) Categorical perception & production of handling handshapes in BSL. Paper presented at 4th UK Cognitive Linguistics Conference, U. of Hertfordshire.
Sevcikova, Z. (2010) Categorical vs. Gradient Properties of Handling Signs in BSL. Poster presented at TISLR conference, Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA.