Ray Wilkinson

Professor Ray Wilkinson is Professor of Human Communication in the Department of Human Communication Sciences at the University of Sheffield, where he is affiliated with the School of Allied Health Professions, Nursing and Midwifery. Previously, he held positions at University College London and the University of Manchester, and worked as an NHS speech and language therapist. He was an ESRC Research Fellow from 2008 to 2011 and a Visiting Scholar at UCLA in 2004 and 2011.

Education:

• BSc
• MA
• PhD
• MRCSLT (Member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists)

Ray Wilkinson’s research centres on human communication in everyday social interaction, particularly when participants lack typical linguistic or cognitive resources. His work extensively explores atypical interaction, especially involving people with acquired brain damage such as aphasia, dementia-related communicative impairments, and traumatic brain injury. He also investigates the development of interactional competence in children and non-human primate communication.

His scholarly output is extensive: he co-authored the clinical resource SPPARC (Supporting Partners of People with Aphasia in Relationships and Conversation) and has published numerous papers on interaction-focused interventions to improve everyday communication for individuals with aphasia and their significant others. His articles span journals such as Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, Qualitative Health Research, Ageing & Society, Musicae Scientiae, and Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Scientific Awards & Fellowships:

• Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Research Fellow (2008–2011)
• Visiting Scholar, University of California, Los Angeles (2004 & 2011)

Research Funding & Grants:

While explicit grant numbers are not listed, his sustained publication record and fellowship appointments indicate continuous research support from the ESRC and other funding bodies.

Labs & Teams:

Professor Wilkinson is associated with the Department of Human Communication Sciences at the University of Sheffield. Although specific lab names are not provided, his research activities imply active collaboration within interdisciplinary teams focused on conversation analysis, aphasia therapy, and dementia care.