Larissa Samuelson

Larissa Samuelson is a Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of East Anglia, specializing in developmental cognitive science with a focus on early word and category learning. She holds administrative roles including Director of Research (2018–present). Her research integrates neural network models with empirical studies to understand how children process information and learn language.

Education:

• BS (Honors) in Psychology, Indiana University (1993)
• PhD in Psychology & Cognitive Science, Indiana University (2000)

Research Interests:

• Cognitive development in early childhood
• Word learning mechanisms and neural models
• Executive function development
• Cross-cultural language processing

Awards:

• American Psychological Association Distinguished Scientific Award (2010)
• European Research Council Grant (2025–2031)
• Recipient of Leverhulme Trust funding (2025–2029)

Projects:

• System of shape representations in cognition
• Neural process theory of vocabulary variability
• Language processing in deaf individuals

Lab & Teams: Leads the Developmental Dynamics Laboratory, focusing on precision science of word learning and ensuring equitable early language potential for toddlers.