Deirdre Birtles

Deirdre Birtles is a Teaching Professor in the Department of Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London. Previously, she held research positions at UCL/University of Oxford and the University of East London. Her academic roles include teaching and supervising undergraduate and postgraduate students in areas such as psychological research, clinical psychology, and forensic psychology.

Dr. Birtles completed her PhD research focusing on postural control and risk factors for falling in older adults. She has since conducted postdoctoral research in developmental visual neuroscience and visuomotor control, particularly in children with developmental disorders.

Her research interests span lifespan development, developmental disorders, and motor control. Key areas include wellbeing in older adults, perceptual-motor behavior in children with Down syndrome, and outcomes for children born preterm. She also explores the application of creative arts training to enhance cognitive and motor development in preschoolers.

Birtles' recent research focuses on retirement transitions, infant visual scanning dynamics, and motor skill development in children with cerebral palsy. Her work combines qualitative and quantitative methodologies, contributing to fields such as gerontology, developmental psychology, and pediatric rehabilitation.

In addition to her research, she supervises final-year and MSc projects in clinical and forensic psychology. Her teaching includes undergraduate courses on psychological research methodologies. While no grants are explicitly listed, her work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals related to health and well-being.

Her research collaborations include work with the Visual Development Unit (UCL/University of Oxford) and the DClinPsych programme at the University of East London.