Find a recent 2-page CV here and a full CV here. 

Read about the impact of my research here.

Watch a recent talk in the flagship Talks at Google series here.

Research

My research aims to uncover the nature of the mental representations and computations that underlie aspects of language, literacy, and learning. My research has earned prizes from the Experimental Psychology Society (2017) and the British Psychological Society (2018), has been funded by project grants from the BBSRC, ESRC, Nuffield Foundation, British Academy, and Leverhulme Trust. 

I have a strong interest in translating my research to improve policies and practices relevant to how children around the world are taught to read.  I recently won the ESRC 'Celebrating Impact' Prize for Outstanding International Impact (2020), and my research also formed the basis for a REF2021 impact case study rated as 4*.  

Editorial Service

I've previously served as Editor in Chief for Journal of Memory and Language (2019-2023).  I've also served as an associate editor for Journal of Memory and Language (2015-2018), JEP:HPP (2012-2015), JEP:LMC (2007-2012), and Language & Cognitive Processes (2002-2007).  I have served on a variety of editorial boards over the years.

Other Service

I am President of the Experimental Psychology Society (2022-2024), and am serving as Chair of the ESRC Centres Panel (2023). Recently, I served as a panel member on REF UoA4 (2021) and led a major review into the Future of the PhD in the Social Sciences for the ESRC (2019-2022).  This review forms the basis for the ESRC's new vision for DTPs (from 2024 forward).  Previously, I served on the ESRC Strategic Advisory Board (2019-2021), the ESRC Research Committee (2015-2019), and was Chair of the ESRC grants assessment panels for Psychology, Linguistics, and Education (2010-2014) and for Psychology, Economics, & Management (2014-2015).  I served on the Medical & Health Sciences panel for the Excellence in Research for Australia (2015) exercise.

Institutional Leadership

I am the PI and Director of the ESRC South East Doctoral Training Arc (SEDarc) with the Universities of Kent, Kingston, Reading, Surrey, and Sussex.  I served as Head of the Psychology department at Royal Holloway (2015-2019), and prior to that was Deputy Vice Principal for Research at Royal Holloway.