Hage's research focuses on understanding the neural mechanisms behind social communication, emphasizing vocal communication. His primary aim is to investigate how audio-vocal integration influences vocal production and perception while exploring the roles of cognitive and motivational processes in vocal behavior. His team uses psychophysical, neuroethological, and neurophysiological approaches to examine how developmental factors shape vocal output. Hage's research interests lie at the intersection of vocal communication and neuroscience, particularly in how the brain controls vocalization in mammals, including humans. His studies also explore the neural basis of complex vocal behaviors and how social and environmental factors influence these. Additionally, Hage investigates sex differences in vocal communication, focusing on how they affect neural control and behavioral outcomes. Together with colleagues at the University of Tübingen, Hage is exploring the nuanced complexities of sex/gender differences within the realm of neuroscience.[4]
Hage is interested in how sex differences manifest in vocal communication, including differences in neural control mechanisms, providing insights into the neural basis of communication differences between males and females in both non-human primates and humans. He has identified a vocal pattern generator in the brainstem of the squirrel monkey, contributing to the understanding of the brain circuits involved in vocal production.[1] In another study, he showed how specific neurons in the prefrontal cortex of monkeys are responsible for initiating voluntary vocalizations. It was a groundbreaking study on the volitional control of vocal communication, contributing significantly to our understanding of speech and vocal production mechanisms in primates, including humans.[5] With Andreas Nieder, he also focused on how neurons in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex are involved in integrating auditory and vocal information, helping modulate vocal communication. The work sheds light on the neural mechanisms for vocal-audio feedback, relevant to human speech and animal communication.[6] In a 2019 paper, investigated how cognitive processes in the marmoset monkey control complex motor behaviors, particularly vocal production. The study provided key insights into how these primates, which share similarities with humans in communication systems, exert voluntary control over their vocalizations. This research is significant as it bridges the gap between understanding animal communication and the neurobiology of human speech, suggesting evolutionary continuity in vocal control mechanisms across species.[7] Another study explored the role of theta rhythms in the anterior cingulate cortex in controlling vocal behavior, showing how these neural oscillations are linked to cognitive processes during vocal production.[8] Other papers demonstrated high plasticity in vocal development in marmoset monkeys from infancy to adulthood. This research highlights how vocal behavior can be shaped significantly by experience and social interactions, which could provide insights into human language development.[9][10][11] Hage emphasized the intricate interplay between respiratory mechanics, cortical control, and vocalization timing in two recent comments.[12][13] They discuss that both neural and physiological factors are critical for effective vocal communication, providing a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying speech production. This research enhances our grasp of vocalization in primates and offers valuable perspectives on human speech and potential avenues for addressing speech-related disorders.
These papers reflect Hage's focus on understanding how the brain controls vocalizations and how auditory feedback modulates vocal production. Theses manuscripts contribute to the broader understanding of speech evolution, the neurobiology of communication, and the interplay between cognition and vocalization in animals, including humans. His work has implications for understanding both animal communication and the neurobiology of human speech. He has been quoted in regard to evolutionary neuroanatomy,[14] interdisciplinary ethics in animal research,[15] and mammalian vocalization.[16] In the lay press, he has been asked to comment on the development of language in rodents and primates.
Career
After being awarded his Habilitation in 2014, Hage remained at the University of Tübingen as Junior Research Group Leader at the Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN) at the University of Tübingen. In 2019, he was appointed Assistant Professor. In 2020, he was appointed Full Professor (W3) in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Tübingen, Germany. He continued his affiliation with the Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN).
Hage has been actively involved in advancing neuroscience through various roles. He is an ad-hoc reviewer for journals including Science, Nature Neuroscience, Nature Communications, Nature Protocols, PLoS Biology, PNAS, and Current Biology. He also reviews grants for the German Research Foundation (DFG), the German Academic Scholarship Foundation, and the Swiss National Science Foundation. He holds memberships in Promotional & Advisory Committees at LMU Munich, MPI Biological Cybernetics Tübingen, Max-Plank-Institute for Biological Intelligence, Seewiesen, and the University of Tübingen. Hage actively contributes to advancing research in various capacities, including editorial roles, board memberships, and organizing academic events.
^Aboitiz, Francisco (2017). A brain for speech: a view from evolutionary neuroanatomy. London, United Kingdom: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN978-1-137-54060-7.
^Brudzynski, Stefan M (December 8, 2009). Handbook of Mammalian Vocalization - An Integrative Neuroscience Approach. Academic Press. p. 7. ISBN9780080923376.
