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Fatemeh Mollaei is a Lecturer in Clinical Language Sciences at the University of Reading, affiliated with the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences. She is a core member of the Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics (CINN), focusing on neurophysiological mechanisms of speech disorders. Her work integrates behavioral, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging techniques to study Parkinson’s disease (PD) and develops neuro-rehabilitation methods using non-invasive brain stimulation (e.g., TMS, tDCS). Her research explores how sensory and motor systems interact during speech production in PD, employing tools like EEG, fMRI, and MEG. She investigates microstructural white matter changes and auditory processing deficits linked to speech impairments, aiming to translate findings into clinical interventions. Her studies also address broader topics like sensorimotor adaptation and stuttering, emphasizing translational neuroscience. Publications highlight trends in neuroimaging of speech disorders, auditory feedback mechanisms, and neuroplasticity in PD. While no formal awards are listed, her contributions to understanding speech motor control and rehabilitation practices are significant. Advising and grant details are not explicitly provided, but her involvement in interdisciplinary CINN projects suggests active collaborative research. Labs/Teams: Active contributor to the Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics (CINN) at the University of Reading, collaborating on translational neuroscience projects.

• Motor Speech Disorders
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Neuroimaging
• +4 more

Birtan Demirel is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Oxford, affiliated with the Institute of Biomedical Engineering and the MRC Brain Network Dynamics Unit. He holds a DPhil in Experimental Psychology from Oxford, funded by the Dominic Barker Trust. His work focuses on stuttering biomarkers and therapeutic interventions using advanced technologies like non-invasive brain stimulation, AI, AR/VR. Education: MSc in Psychology, Neuroscience and Human Sciences (University of Pavia), DPhil in Experimental Psychology (Oxford) Research interests include neuroimaging studies (fMRI, MEG) to pinpoint brain disruptions in stuttering, and developing clinical tools for speech fluency and social anxiety reduction. Collaborates with Prof Tim Denison in the Bioelectronic Circuits & Systems Lab. Key publication: No evidence of altered language laterality in people who stutter (2024, Brain Communications), analyzing speech-language laterality across imaging modalities.

• Neuroscience
• Speech Disorders
• Biomedical Engineering
• +5 more

Professor Kate Watkins is a Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and Tutorial Fellow at St Anne's College, University of Oxford. Her research focuses on the neural mechanisms underlying speech and language, particularly in developmental disorders such as stuttering and developmental language disorder (DLD). She employs neuroimaging (MRI/fMRI) and brain stimulation techniques (TMS/tDCS) to investigate speech perception, production, and motor control. Key contributions include discoveries about striatal iron concentrations in stuttering and cerebellar abnormalities in DLD. Watkins trained at the Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital, and the Montreal Neurological Institute. She co-founded the Neurobiology of Language journal and has held academic roles since 2003. Her work bridges clinical and experimental approaches, aiming to improve understanding of communication disorders and inform therapeutic strategies. Research interests span developmental stuttering, speech motor control, bilingual language processing, and neuroimaging methodologies. She collaborates with institutions like the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging and has published extensively on language lateralization, motor cortex plasticity, and neurobiological markers of speech disorders.

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Developmental Disorders
• Speech Perception
• +3 more

Dr. Nejra Van Zalk is an Associate Professor in Psychology and Human Factors at Imperial College London's Dyson School of Design Engineering. She directs the Design Psychology Lab, focusing on psychological mechanisms in product/service design for mental health. Her affiliations include the Human Behaviour and Experience Network and Robotics Forum. She holds a PhD from Örebro University, Sweden, with prior roles as Senior Lecturer and Visiting Scholar at institutions like Cambridge University. Her research spans design psychology, cognitive science, and human-robot interaction. Key articles explore VR therapy for OCD, age-related needle phobia, and social anxiety in adolescents. Her work emphasizes translating psychological insights into practical solutions for health and technology domains. Research interests include mental health interventions through virtual reality, social anxiety disorders, and human-AI interaction. Notable projects investigate robotic clinical tools and teleoperation interfaces. She has contributed to scoping reviews on cochlear implants and pediatric hearing outcomes. Her work bridges psychology with engineering to enhance human-centered design. Collaborations span robotics, healthcare, and education sectors. Her articles highlight trends in VR-based therapies and developmental psychology, with a focus on translating research into clinical and technological applications. No scientific awards are explicitly listed, but her extensive publication record reflects academic impact. She advises through the Design Psychology Lab, fostering interdisciplinary innovation in human factors and mental health.

• Psychology
• Cognitive Sciences
• Computer-Human Interaction
• +4 more

Jon Thomson is an Associate Professor (Reader) in Fine Art at the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London, where he works with MA/MFA and PhD students. He is a visual artist specializing in digital and new media art, collaborating with Alison Craighead since 1993 under the name Thomson & Craighead. Their work explores how internet and communications networks transform our understanding of the world, examining the relationship between physical and digital space and how the internet alters our socio-political understanding of reality. Thomson studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee. In 1995, he co-founded The Slade Centre for Electronic Media in Fine Art (SCEMFA), bringing together artist-researchers working digitally on the cutting edge of contemporary art practice. He has maintained this research focus while developing his collaborative practice with Craighead. Thomson's research examines how the development of the internet has transformed perception of the world, particularly how our constant ability to be physically somewhere but virtually anywhere affects our understanding. His work considers the tension between global and local perspectives, and how modern communications inform our sense of place and self. Recent projects increasingly examine the impact of Big Data on society and how individuals can measure their experience against unfathomably large bodies of information and inhuman timescales. Thomson & Craighead's extensive exhibition history shows a consistent exploration of networked communication, with works spanning from early internet-based projects to contemporary explorations of genomic data and nuclear culture. Their practice demonstrates an evolution from examining basic internet infrastructure to addressing complex issues of data sovereignty, deep time, and the societal impacts of pervasive networked technologies. Thomson's research has been supported by significant funding including: AHRC small grant in the creative and performing arts (2007) Wellcome Trust Arts Award (£38,000) for Stutterer (2014) Collaborations with Channel 4 Television, Animate Projects, New Media Scotland, and Creative Scotland for Flat Earth Trilogy Thomson advises MA/MFA and PhD students at the Slade School of Fine Art. His collaborative practice has resulted in numerous exhibitions worldwide and three published monographs. They have developed innovative approaches to using live data streams, social media content, and scientific information as artistic materials, creating works that challenge conventional boundaries between art, technology, and science. Thomson co-founded SCEMFA, which remains a significant research center bringing together artist-researchers working at the intersection of digital technology and fine art. His work often involves interdisciplinary collaborations, such as with computational biologists at the University of Dundee and participation in the Nuclear Culture research project with Arts Catalyst London.

• Digital Art
• New Media Art
• Internet Art
• +5 more

Dr. Ruchit Agrawal is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Head of Computer Science Outreach at the University of Birmingham Dubai. Previously, he served as a Postdoctoral Researcher in AI for Healthcare at the University of Oxford’s Computational Health Informatics Lab, and as a Marie Curie AI Researcher in the transnational MIP-Frontiers project at Queen Mary University of London. His work focuses on optimizing healthcare systems using Machine Learning, alongside contributions to Natural Language Processing, Audio Signal Processing, and Multimodal Deep Learning. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from Queen Mary University of London and an MS by Research from IIIT Hyderabad. Education: PhD in Computer Science (Queen Mary University of London, 2021) MS by Research in Machine Translation (IIIT Hyderabad, 2017) Research Interests: Clinical Machine Learning for healthcare system optimization Natural Language Processing with a focus on Indian languages and context-aware models Audio Signal Processing for music performance analysis and stuttering detection Development of multimodal deep learning frameworks for diverse applications Adaptive AI systems leveraging contextual and positional encoding techniques Publications highlight trends in healthcare AI, multilingual NLP, and audio-visual alignment. Recent work includes Arabic sentiment analysis, stuttering detection via MMSD-Net, and stock price prediction using FB-GAN. Earlier contributions address structure-aware synchronization in music performance data and transformer-based post-editing for low-resource languages. His research bridges theoretical advancements with practical implementations in clinical, financial, and cross-modal domains. Scientific awards include the prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie scholarship (2017–2020) supporting his deep learning research in audio signal processing. Advising and grants: While no formal advisees are listed, his roles involve leading outreach initiatives and guiding collaborative projects at the Computational Health Informatics Lab during his postdoctoral tenure. Labs/Teams: Active member of the Computational Health Informatics Lab (Oxford) and Machine Translation group at FBK (Italy). His work also intersects with the MIP-Frontiers transnational research project.

• Multimodal Deep Learning
• Clinical Machine Learning
• Natural Language Processing
• +3 more

Dr. Ivan Kiskin is a Lecturer in AI for Multimodal Health Monitoring at the University of Surrey's Surrey Institute for People-Centred Artificial Intelligence (PAI), affiliated with the School of Biosciences. He holds a PhD in Machine Learning for Acoustic Mosquito Detection from the University of Oxford (2020) and a first-class MEng in Engineering Science (2015). His research focuses on machine learning for audio/signal processing, Bayesian deep learning, and AI applications in health monitoring. He leads the HumBug project, developing smartphone-based mosquito detection systems funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. His work combines bioacoustic signal analysis with community-driven data collection strategies, particularly in malaria-prone regions. Key contributions include the HumBugDB dataset, few-shot learning frameworks for bioacoustic event detection, and evaluations of AI systems in pandemic response. He collaborates with the Centre for Vision, Speech and Signal Processing (CVSSP) and co-supervises PhD students in AI-driven health applications.

• Machine Learning for Audio/Signal Processing
• Bayesian Deep Learning
• AI in Health Monitoring
• +3 more

Professor Sophie Scott CBE is a prominent cognitive neuroscientist and director of the Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London (UCL). Her research focuses on the neurobiology of speech, laughter, and emotional vocalizations, emphasizing their social and communicative dimensions. She holds leadership roles in advancing neuroscience education and public engagement, including delivering the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures (2017) and TED Talks. Scott’s academic positions include roles within UCL’s Faculty of Brain Sciences, where she contributes to interdisciplinary research across institutes like the Institute of Neurology and the Ear Institute. Her work bridges basic science and clinical applications, with recent studies exploring laughter perception in autism and the neural basis of vocal authenticity. Awarded a CBE (2020) for services to neuroscience, Scott is also a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and British Academy. Her public engagement efforts include stand-up comedy performances to communicate science, and she advocates for women in STEM through mentorship and collaborative initiatives. Key research themes include auditory processing pathways, emotional expression recognition, and the social neuroscience of laughter. Her lab investigates how vocal behaviors reflect group dynamics and social bonds, with studies published in high-impact journals like Journal of Neuroscience and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences .

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Emotional Expression
• +3 more

Ian Howard is Associate Professor of Computational Neuroscience at University of Plymouth's School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics. His multidisciplinary research examines brain development across motor systems, from infant speech acquisition to adult motor learning, using robotic interfaces and computational modeling. Research spans multiple periods of brain development and motor systems: infant speech acquisition, adult arm movement learning, and robotic interface design. Current projects investigate motor imagery benefits, haptic feedback in skill acquisition, and voice pathology detection using machine learning. Robotics innovations include novel manipulanda for sensorimotor research and 3D-printed robotic segments with variable-stiffness actuators. Publications demonstrate consistent focus on computational modeling of biological learning processes. Teaches machine learning, control engineering, and mobile robotics. Professional affiliations include societies for neuroscience and robotics research. Research collaborations extend internationally through robotic interface sharing.

• Computational neuroscience
• Motor learning
• Speech development
• +3 more

Dr Anthony J H Simons is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Sheffield, where he serves as Deputy Director of UG Admissions. He is a member of the Testing research group and has been affiliated with the university since completing his PhD there. His academic journey spans several decades, moving from speech recognition systems to object-oriented programming languages and currently focusing on model-based testing and cloud computing applications. Dr Simons holds an MA in Modern Languages from the University of Cambridge and a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Sheffield. His educational background in both humanities and technical fields has informed his interdisciplinary approach to software engineering research. His primary research interests center around turning formal verification results into practical software engineering benefits. Currently, he investigates Model-Based Testing and Model-Driven Engineering with applications to Cloud Computing. Earlier in his career, he made significant contributions to object-oriented software engineering, including type theory and software development methods. He is the inventor of the JWalk automatic software testing tool for Java and the JAST library for processing XML in Java, and co-author of the OPEN Toolbox of Techniques. His work bridges theoretical computer science with practical software development needs. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a clear trajectory from foundational work in object-oriented type theory to applied research in cloud computing and model-based testing. His scholarship demonstrates consistent focus on formal methods applied to practical software engineering challenges, with increasing emphasis on cloud infrastructure testing and verification in recent years. Dr Simons has secured significant research funding as Principal Investigator, including the Broker@Cloud project (EC-FP7, £323,688, 2012-2015), Future Engineering System (InnovateUK, £199,874, 2016-2019), and Ferromone Trails Concept (Department for Transport, £24,635, 2017). He has supervised numerous undergraduate and masters' projects throughout his career and continues to mentor students despite being semi-retired. He leads the Testing research group at Sheffield and has developed several research projects including CatWalk (a software testing tool for Java), ReMoDeL (a conceptual modeling language), and tools for verifying specifications and generating tests for software services in the cloud. His research has practical applications in cloud service brokerage and quality assurance.

• Model-Based Testing
• Model-Driven Engineering
• Cloud Computing
• +5 more

Sophie Meekings is a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow at Newcastle University, collaborating with University College London. She is affiliated with the School of English Literature, Language, and Linguistics (HASS). Her research focuses on vocal control mechanisms, environmental influences on speech, and vocal change in populations with atypical voices (e.g., Tourette’s Syndrome, stammering). She employs acoustic analyses and fMRI to study speech dynamics and identity. Research Interests: Cognitive Psychology Experimental Phonetics Speech Perception Sociophonetics Current work investigates vocal change and identity in neurotypical and atypical populations. No awards or formal grants are explicitly listed, but her research emphasizes inclusivity for participants.

• Cognitive Psychology
• Experimental Phonetics
• Psycholinguistics
• +4 more

Helen Risebro is a Senior Research Associate at Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, where she has been working since March 2004. She also serves as a Research Advisor for the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Research Design Service (RDS), providing methodological advice to health and social care professionals. Additionally, she represents research staff on the Research Staff Working Group and the Research Staff Skills Development group. Her academic background includes an MSc in Health Sciences from the University of York (2003) and a BSc in Health Sciences from the same institution (2001). Helen's research focuses on the epidemiology of waterborne diseases, with particular expertise in private water supplies. Her work spans health economics and research methods, contributing to projects funded by the World Health Organisation, European Commission, and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). She has conducted significant research on microbial pathogens in drinking water, risk assessment of waterborne infections, and cost-benefit analysis of water sanitation interventions. Her recent work has expanded into healthcare interventions, including studies on influenza vaccination rates in care homes and vocational rehabilitation for stroke survivors. Helen has been involved in numerous research projects over the past two decades, with current active projects including the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Extension (2024-2026) and previous work on the NIHR Research Design Service Competition 2017. Her research demonstrates a clear trajectory from waterborne disease epidemiology to broader public health interventions, with consistent methodological rigor across diverse health topics. Research staff representative on the Research Staff Working Group Research staff representative on the Research Staff Skills Development group Research Advisor for NIHR Research Design Service (2010-present) Helen has contributed to multiple projects funded by prestigious organizations including the European Commission, World Health Organisation, and National Institute for Health Research. Her collaborative approach is evident in her extensive co-authorship across interdisciplinary teams addressing complex public health challenges.

• Epidemiology
• Waterborne Disease
• Private Water Supplies
• +2 more

Professor Marc Stutter is an Honorary Professor at the Lancaster Environment Centre , Lancaster University. His research focuses on soil science and environmental biogeochemistry, particularly phosphorus dynamics, riparian zone management, and nutrient cycling in agricultural and aquatic systems. Institution: Lancaster University Department: Lancaster Environment Centre Academic Role: Honorary Professor Stutter's work investigates how riparian soils regulate dissolved organic matter and phosphorus fluxes in river systems, exploring climate sensitivity and management strategies for pollution mitigation. Recent studies address cost-effective riparian interventions, phosphorus bioavailability in sewage-derived biochars, and microbial responses to organic amendments. His publications highlight trends in riparian buffer efficacy, coupled macronutrient cycling, and advanced techniques like DGTs and soil zymography for phosphorus quantification. Articles span 2016–2025, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches at the soil-water-plant nexus. Key collaborations include researchers from environmental management, agricultural science, and hydrology fields. The Lancaster Environment Centre serves as the primary platform for his team's interdisciplinary studies on sustainable land-water interactions.

• Soil Science
• Environmental Science
• Hydrology
• +3 more

Dr Eleanor Drake is a Lecturer at the School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University. Her research focuses on speech production, language comprehension, stuttering, and decolonization in psychology. She holds a PhD from the University of Edinburgh and has been awarded the International Phonetic Association Student Award (2015) and Northern Digital Excellence Award. Her work integrates ultrasound imaging to study speech dynamics and employs autoethnography to explore institutional decolonization. She supervises doctoral projects on smell retraining and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Key areas include articulatory consequences of prediction during comprehension, perfectionism in stuttering, and cross-language interference in speech production. Education: PhD from the University of Edinburgh. Research Interests: Speech-Motor Activation, Ultrasound Imaging, Decolonization in Academia, and Psycholinguistic Models of Prediction. Awards: International Phonetic Association Student Award (ICPhS 2015) Northern Digital Excellence Award EPSRC PhD funding Grants and Funding: Supported by EPSRC and ESRC. Advising: Supervises PhD students Emily Spencer (smell retraining program) and Muriel Chaudhri (antibiotic-resistant bacteria). Labs/Teams: Member of the Centre for Mind and Creativity.

• Speech Production
• Language Comprehension
• Stuttering
• +4 more

Dr. Ruchit Agrawal is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Head of Computer Science Outreach at the University of Birmingham Dubai. Previously, he held roles including Postdoctoral Research Scientist at the University of Oxford, Marie-Curie Researcher at Queen Mary University of London, and AI Researcher at FBK, Italy. His research focuses on Multimodal Deep Learning, Adaptive AI, NLP, and Clinical Machine Learning. He earned a Ph.D. from Queen Mary University of London and M.S. and B.Tech degrees from IIIT Hyderabad. Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science (Queen Mary University of London), M.S. in Computer Science (IIIT Hyderabad), B.Tech. in Computer Science (IIIT Hyderabad). Research interests include AI-driven healthcare solutions, contextualized machine learning systems, and cross-lingual NLP. His work spans healthcare informatics, music informatics, and machine translation. He has collaborated on projects like MIP-Frontiers and contributed to advancements in multimodal stuttering detection and stock price prediction models. Professional roles also include software development stints at Google Summer of Code and teaching at IIIT Hyderabad. His outreach initiatives aim to promote computer science education and accessibility.

• Multimodal Deep Learning
• Adaptive and Contextual AI
• Natural Language Processing
• +3 more