Alice Turk is a Professor of Linguistic Phonetics at the University of Edinburgh's School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences. She holds a PhD from Cornell University and serves as Principal Investigator for the ERC Advanced Grant 'PLANART: Planning the Articulation of Spoken Utterances' and collaborates on the project 'Prosodic Structure at the Interface Between Language and Speech'. Her research focuses on speech production, perception, prosodic structure, and timing. Education: PhD, Cornell University Her research interests span speech articulation, optimal control theory, motor control, and cross-linguistic phonetic patterns. She has led over 14 research projects, including studies on speech timing, ultrasound tongue imaging resources, and prosodic interfaces. Currently supervising PhD students Candice Mathers and William Peralta, she teaches courses such as 'Phonetics & Laboratory Phonology' and 'Speech Production & Perception'. Past grants include AHRC-funded work on prosodic structures and EPSRC support for an Edinburgh speech production facility. Her ERC grant (2022-2026) explores articulatory planning using optimal control models and biomechanical simulations.
Dr. Patrycja Strycharczuk is Senior Lecturer in Linguistics at the University of Manchester, specializing in experimental phonetics and sociophonetics. Her award-winning research employs ultrasound imaging, acoustic analysis, and computational modeling to study speech production and perception. Research Focus: Strycharczuk's investigations address lingual articulation dynamics, vowel variation, and sound change mechanisms. Current projects examine speaker-specific articulation strategies, neural modeling of phonetic accommodation, and diphthongization patterns in English varieties. Methodologies include high-speed ultrasound, electromagnetic articulography, and machine learning approaches. Publication Trends: Recent articles (2023-2025) demonstrate increasing focus on computational modeling of speech production and perception. Earlier work established insights into dialect levelling, coda /l/ vocalization, and sociophonetic variation in UK English. Awards: Journal of Phonetics Best Early Career Scholar Article (2016).
Dr Gregory Leplatre serves as a Lecturer at Edinburgh Napier University's School of Computing Engineering and the Built Environment. He is actively involved with two major research groups: the Centre for Interaction Design and the Centre for Algorithms, Visualisation and Evolving Systems. His work spans across multiple interdisciplinary domains where technology meets human experience. Leplatre's research interests focus on the intersection of sound, visualization, and human interaction. He has made significant contributions to audio-visual interface design, particularly in developing tools that translate sound into visual representations through cymatics. His work extends to therapeutic applications, especially in using real-time 3D graphics to enhance music therapy sessions for individuals on the autism spectrum. Leplatre also investigates speech articulation, soundscape mapping, and multimodal interfaces that create natural cross-modal mappings between visual inputs and sound synthesis. His publication record reveals a consistent trajectory exploring how visual representations of sound can enhance user experience and therapeutic outcomes. Over the past decade, his research has increasingly focused on therapeutic applications for autism spectrum disorder, while maintaining strong foundations in sound synthesis techniques and interface design principles. The work demonstrates a progression from theoretical exploration of audio-visual correspondences to practical implementations with real-world impact. As an academic supervisor, Leplatre has directed or co-supervised numerous doctoral projects, including research on sketching interfaces for sound synthesis, real-time 3D graphic augmentation of music therapy, and emotion recognition in conversational agents. His grant portfolio includes projects like 'Micro-phonics' funded by the Scottish Funding Council and 'Personalisation and the ATM' funded by Innovate UK, demonstrating his ability to secure research funding across different domains. Within the Centre for Interaction Design and the Centre for Algorithms, Visualisation and Evolving Systems, Leplatre contributes to a vibrant research ecosystem focused on creating meaningful human-computer interactions through innovative visualization and sound techniques. His work bridges artistic expression with technical innovation, creating tools that make sound visible and tangible for both therapeutic and creative purposes.
Stefano Coretta is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in the Linguistics and English Language department at the University of Edinburgh's School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences. He serves as the Senior Teaching Coordinator for statistics, developing and coordinating statistical curriculum for both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. His educational background includes a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Manchester (2020), a Research MA in Theoretical and Applied Linguistics from the University of Pavia, and undergraduate studies in Classics with Oriental Studies from the University of Milan. Prior to joining Edinburgh in 2021, he completed postdoctoral research at the Institute for Phonetics and Speech Processing at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. Coretta's research focuses on phonetology (the intersection of phonetics and phonology), with particular expertise in acoustic and articulatory phonetics. His methodological approach emphasizes quantitative methods, statistics, and Open Science practices. He employs various techniques including ultrasound tongue imaging, electroglottography, and fMRI in his investigations of segmental characteristics like duration, phonation, voice quality, tongue gestures, and laryngeal articulations. His work spans multiple language families including Indo-European, Oceanic, and South American languages, with a strong interest in phonetic typology and language description. He maintains an active presence in academic communities, particularly through Stack Overflow where he has contributed extensively to discussions about R programming, statistics, and linguistic analysis. As a supervisor, Coretta welcomes PhD students working on topics within phonetics, laboratory phonology, historical phonetics/phonology, quantitative methods theory, and graphemics. He currently supervises Aya Awwad and has specific expertise with acoustic and articulatory analysis techniques. He does not supervise projects in developmental linguistics, bi/multilingualism, language acquisition, or language pathology. Teaching responsibilities include undergraduate courses such as Data Analysis for LEL, Statistics and Quantitative Methods, and Guided Research Seminar in LEL, as well as postgraduate courses including Quantitative Methods in Linguistics and Research Methods in Developmental Linguistics. He has developed mini-courses on R programming for linguistic applications.
Eleanor Lawson is a Lecturer in the Department of Speech And Language Therapy at the University of Strathclyde, affiliated with the School of Psychological Sciences and Health. Her research focuses on articulatory phonetics, ultrasound tongue imaging, and sound change processes, with particular attention to Scottish English speech development. She leads projects like BletherNet, exploring neural networks for analyzing tongue shapes in disordered speech, and collaborates on instrumental techniques for speech therapy applications. Research Interests: Ultrasound Tongue Imaging Phonetic teaching methodologies Sound Change dynamics STAR framework applications Her recent work includes a scoping review on lingual variability in children and contributions to the Oxford Handbook of Speech Development. She actively engages in knowledge exchange through workshops and conferences, addressing topics like accent perception and clinical intervention strategies. Current projects (2023–2025) involve collaborations with researchers in Cardiff and interdisciplinary teams analyzing consonant production and neural network applications in speech therapy.
Susan Lloyd is a Lecturer in the Speech and Hearing Sciences Division at Queen Margaret University (QMU) , joining the institution in 2019. With over 20 years of experience as a Speech and Language Therapist (SLT), she previously worked in Glasgow as a Community Paediatric SLT for 14 years and served as a Clinical Tutor at the University of Strathclyde for 8 years. Certifications: Certified Member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (CertMRCSLT), Registered SLT with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPCReg) Education: Holds an undergraduate degree in English Language, leading to qualification as an SLT from the University of Newcastle. Her research focuses on speech sound disorders , particularly through the adaptation of the Phonetic Placement and Stimulability Assessment (PPSA) for non-English languages. She has contributed extensively to studies on ultrasound visual biofeedback in speech therapy, voice disorder evaluation post-airway surgery, and phonetic transcription reliability in cleft lip/palate cases. Her Google Scholar publications highlight expertise in: Ultrasound imaging for diagnosing articulation disorders Clinical outcomes of laryngotracheal reconstruction Interdisciplinary collaboration in SLT service development She became a Fellow of Advance HE in 2024 and supports student clinical skills development as part of QMU's placement team.
Dr Sam Kirkham is a Senior Lecturer in the Phonetics Lab at the Department of Linguistics and English Language and a member of the Data Science Institute at Lancaster University. He earned his PhD from the University of Sheffield in 2014 and serves as Associate Editor for the Journal of Phonetics. PhD in Linguistics, University of Sheffield (2014) His research explores the dynamics of spoken language through experimental and computational approaches, focusing on: Articulatory phonetics and vocal tract movement Sound change mechanisms Computational modeling of speech production Application of physics-informed machine learning The 15 most recent articles (2025-2023) span: Vowel articulation and gender differences Dynamical systems in speech Nonlinear control models Open-source speech hardware Bilingual speech patterns Evolutionary phonetics Scientific recognition includes: AHRC Fellowship (2024-25) Supervision includes PhD students Maya Dewhurst, Lois Fairclough, Emily Gorman, and Seren Parkman. Current projects like Royal Society-funded 'Interpretable acoustic-articulatory relations' (2025-27) and AHRC-funded initiatives examine speech production dynamics and phonological evolution.
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.
Claire Nance is a Professor of Phonetics at Lancaster University's Department of Linguistics and English Language, within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Her research focuses on sociolinguistics, phonetics, and laboratory phonology, with a specialization in Celtic languages (particularly Scottish Gaelic), bilingualism, minority language revitalization, and ultrasound tongue imaging. She leads projects on North-West English dialects, such as the 'Lancashire Tongues' initiative, and studies intonation patterns in Glasgow Gaelic and Liverpool English. Her academic contributions include work on articulatory phonetics in multilingual contexts, the acoustics of Gaelic sonorants, and the sociolinguistic implications of language contact. She supervises PhD students in sociophonetics, bilingualism, and minority language studies. Nance is affiliated with the Phonetics Lab and collaborates on public engagement initiatives like 'Visible Voices' and 'Linguistics in the City,' bridging academic research with community outreach. Recent research projects include investigations into child language acquisition of Estonian palatalization and the phonetic dynamics of Gaelic-English bilingualism. She actively contributes to revitalization efforts for minority languages through both scholarly work and community-based activities.
Danielle Turton is a Senior Lecturer in Sociolinguistics at the Department of Linguistics and English Language, Lancaster University, and a member of the Lancaster University Phonetics Lab. Her research focuses on phonological variation and change in English accents, with expertise in Northern English dialects (especially Manchester and Blackburn), ultrasound tongue imaging, and laboratory phonology. PhD in Linguistics, University of Manchester (2014) MA in Linguistics, University of Manchester (2010) BA (Hons) in English Language, University of Manchester (2009) Her research investigates why accents vary and change over time, emphasizing the intersection between variable processes and phonetics/phonology. She employs ultrasound imaging and acoustic analysis to study phenomena like /l/-darkening, FOOT-STRUT vowel splits, and rhoticity in regional dialects. Google Scholar lists over 40 publications spanning 2011–2024, with recent work on Levantine Arabic laterals and Lancashire rhoticity funded by the Leverhulme Trust. Her methodological contributions include improving forced alignment software for British dialects and crowdsourcing dialectology in undergraduate classrooms. She collaborates with researchers like Robert Lennon, Maciej Baranowski, and Sam Kirkham.
Professor James M Scobbie is a Professor in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences at Queen Margaret University's School of Health Sciences and serves as Director of the Clinical Audiology, Speech and Language Research Centre (CASL). He holds a PhD in theoretical phonology from the University of Edinburgh (1991), preceded by studies in Cognitive Science, Linguistics, and Artificial Intelligence, and conducted postdoctoral research at Stanford University. His research investigates speech production through phonetics and articulation, utilizing accent variation to uncover systematic sound differences. He focuses on speech acquisition, disorders, and variation, employing instrumental techniques like ultrasound tongue imaging to develop clinical biofeedback tools for speech therapy. His scientific awards include: Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) Professor Scobbie has secured substantial research funding as Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator from major bodies. Key projects: PI: "Ultrasound Visual Biofeedback Treatment for Speech Sound Disorders in Children" (CSO, 2015-2016) Co-I: "Changes in shape, space and time: the impact of position on the spatiotemporal and configurational articulatory properties of liquid consonants" (ESRC, 2016-2018) Co-I: "Dynamic Dialects: Integrating articulatory video to reveal the complexity of speech" (AHRC, 2014-2015) He led CASL's contribution to the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, achieving 92% internationally excellent or world-leading ratings, and co-founded QMU's Articulatory Research Clinic, which pioneers ultrasound-based speech assessment and therapy.
Maria Cairney is a HCPC-registered Speech and Language Therapist and Lecturer at the University of Strathclyde's Department of Speech And Language Therapy. She holds a PhD in Phonetics and specializes in speech sound disorders, multilingualism, and clinical applications of ultrasound imaging and acoustic analysis. Her research focuses on pediatric speech interventions, particularly for children with cleft palate/cleft lip, and explores innovative techniques like ultrasound biofeedback. She has contributed to mixed-methods clinical trials and scoping reviews analyzing articulatory motor control in children. Maria has received recognition for her work, including the 2022 SINAPSE Ultrasound Session Best Presentation Award and a 2023 Meritorious Poster Submission. She actively engages in professional development through workshops on Articulate Assistant Advanced software and peer reviewing for international conferences. Current projects include the SonoSpeech Cleft Pilot trial and investigations into low intelligibility conversations. She maintains an open-door policy for postgraduate research supervision in her areas of expertise.
Joanne Cleland is a Professor of Speech and Language Therapy in the Department of Psychological Sciences and Health at the University of Strathclyde, where she has been a faculty member since 2015. Her work bridges theoretical articulatory research and applied clinical practice, focusing on developmental Speech Sound Disorders in children. She leads and collaborates on major funded research projects and is an active member of international professional organizations. University: University of Strathclyde School: Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences Department: Department of Psychological Sciences and Health Academic Rank: Professor Email: joanne.cleland@strath.ac.uk Her educational background includes a BSc in Speech Pathology and Therapy and a PhD in Speech & Prosody in Developmental Disorders: Autism & Down Syndrome, both from Queen Margaret University, completed in 2002 and 2010 respectively. Joanne Cleland's research centers on improving diagnosis and treatment of Speech Sound Disorders in children, with a special emphasis on visual biofeedback technologies such as ultrasound tongue imaging. She investigates how real-time visualization of articulatory movements can enhance speech therapy outcomes. Her work integrates mixed methods, clinical trials, and co-production with clinicians and families. She is particularly interested in making advanced technologies accessible in clinical and home settings. The recent publications reflect a strong trend in child speech research, focusing on variability in voice quality, phonological awareness, diagnostic standardization, and the development of digital tools for therapy and training. There is a clear emphasis on empirical data collection, technological innovation, and translational research that connects laboratory findings to clinical practice. Scientific Awards: Manuel Garcia Prize (2023) Meritorious Poster Submission (2023) Joanne Cleland is actively involved in advising and grant-funded research. She is Principal Investigator on projects such as 'Maximising the impact of speech and language therapy for children with speech sound disorder' and 'SonoSpeech Cleft Pilot', and Co-investigator on others like 'Variability in child speech (VariCS)' and 'Speech Therapy Animation and imaging Resource (STAR)'. These projects are funded by ESRC, NIHR, Chief Scientist Office of Scotland, and EPSRC. She is accepting PhD students interested in childhood speech sound disorders, particularly those involving cleft palate. She contributes to several research labs and teams, including the VariCS team, the SonoSpeech project, and the BletherNet neural network initiative. She collaborates with researchers such as Anja Kuschmann, Jane Stuart-Smith, and Eleanor Lawson. Her datasets are publicly available via Open Science Framework and University of Strathclyde repositories, promoting open science and reproducibility.
Marie Dokovova is a Lecturer in the Speech and Language Therapy team at the University of Strathclyde, Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences. She is an active researcher in clinical phonetics, with a focus on speech sound disorders, multilingualism, and the use of ultrasound tongue imaging for both research and therapeutic intervention. Her research interests center on improving speech intelligibility, particularly in children with cleft palate, through innovative techniques such as ultrasound visual biofeedback. She employs methods from acoustic phonetics and speech perception to investigate articulatory variability and develop evidence-based interventions. Her work also extends to real-world communication challenges, such as telephone interactions for individuals with difficult-to-understand speech. Recent publications and projects highlight a strong trend in clinical trials, instrumental articulatory analysis, and the development of research tools for tongue imaging. Her work often involves mixed-methods approaches, combining quantitative and qualitative data to assess intervention efficacy and user experience. Best presentation in the Ultrasound session in SINAPSE Annual Scientific Meeting (15 Jun 2022) Meritorious Poster Submission (21 Aug 2023) Marie Dokovova leads and co-leads several research projects, including an internally funded study on telephone communication experiences and a knowledge exchange training project on Articulate Assistant Advanced. She serves as a consultant for research software training and contributes to peer review and public engagement activities. She is involved in dataset creation and dissemination, supporting open science in speech and language therapy. She is affiliated with research initiatives focused on improving outcomes for children with speech disorders and advancing methodological rigor in clinical phonetics. Her lab activities involve hands-on training in ultrasound imaging techniques and collaborative research using instrumental articulatory methods.
Dr. Sonja Schaeffler is a Reader in Speech Variation at Queen Margaret University (QMU), Edinburgh, within the Division of Speech & Hearing Sciences in the School of Health Sciences. She serves as the Academic Coordinator for Research Culture and Doctoral Studies for the School of Health Sciences and is a full member of the Research Centre for Clinical Audiology, Speech & Language (CASL). Her educational background includes an M.A. in Phonetics (with German Linguistics and Psycholinguistics as minor subjects) from Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich and a PhD in Psychology from the University of Stirling, supervised by Professor Vera Kempe. Dr. Schaeffler's research focuses on the 'when, how and why' of speech variation, exploring the fine-phonetic and articulatory details of intentional and unconscious speech variation. Her work spans the interdisciplinary borderland between Phonetics and Psychology, examining intra- and interindividual differences in cognitive processing, oro-motor skills, attitude, motivation, and personality that may facilitate or impede speech variation. Her current projects include research on speech registers (particularly child-directed speech), adaptations of articulatory settings in bilinguals, variations in silent speech preparation, and accent variation in Scotland. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on the cultural evolution of child-directed speech, bidialectal speech adaptations, and the psychological and social implications of speech variation. Her work frequently employs advanced methodologies including ultrasound tongue imaging and acoustic analysis to investigate subtle articulatory movements and their perceptual consequences. Member of the British Association of Academic Phoneticians (BAAP) Member of the ESRC Peer Review College Dr. Schaeffler has successfully secured multiple research grants including SFC and UKRI Talent and Research Stabilisation Funding (2022) as Principal Investigator for research on the cultural evolution of Child-Directed Speech. She has supervised numerous PhD students including Ciera Haggar, Irina Brodskaya, and Janet Coulson, with research topics spanning accent adaptation, ultrasound tongue imaging for 'second accent' training, and articulatory reaction times. Her research group on 'Accent Variation in Scotland' collaborates with Prof Jim Scobbie (QMU), Prof Jennifer Smith (Glasgow University), and PhD student Janet Coulson. She actively promotes Open Science principles in research development and champions the 'Students as Researchers' approach in PhD training, aligning with the Higher Education Academy's framework.
