Ellen Gerrits

Prof. Ellen Gerrits is a Professor of Linguistics at Utrecht University's Humanities Institute for Language Sciences (Department of Languages, Literature and Communication). She holds an endowed professorship in Clinical Language, Speech and Hearing Sciences, funded by the Dutch Association for Speech and Language Therapy. Her research focuses on improving societal participation for individuals with speech and language disorders, emphasizing clinical linguistics, health sciences, and co-design methodologies. She leads the master's program Clinical Health Sciences for Allied Health Professionals at the Faculty of Medicine and chairs the Speech and Language Therapy research group at HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht.

Research areas include efficacy and innovation in speech therapy for children/adults, language disorders in early childhood (first 1001 days), and dyslexia interventions. Notable contributions include the ENGAGE conversational tool and CommuniCare framework. Awards include multiple NVLF Branco van Dantzig prizes and the NWO/SIA RAAK Award for practice-oriented research.

Her academic service includes roles in research ethics, family-centered care, and patient perspectives in healthcare. She has supervised 5 academic works and maintains active collaborations within the Dynamics of Youth (DoY) initiative and Life Sciences domains.