معرفی
Robert Skinner is an Assistant Professor at Heriot-Watt University's School of Social Sciences, Languages & Intercultural Studies department. His research focuses on sign language interpreting in legal and police contexts, video-mediated interpreting, and the impact of interpretation on Deaf identity. He leads major EU-funded projects like Insign and Justisigns, which aim to enhance accessibility for Deaf citizens through technological platforms and training resources. Skinner also explores iconicity in sign language processing, contributing to embodied cognition theories.
Education: BSL/English Interpreting (1st Class Hons, University of Wolverhampton, 2000), MA Applied Linguistics (Birkbeck College, 2007), MSc Research Methods in Experimental Psychology (UCL, 2009).
Research Interests: Video relay interpreting, legal interpreting standards, Deaf identity formation, interpreter training methodologies. His work bridges linguistic theory and practical accessibility solutions, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to address systemic barriers faced by Deaf communities.
Publications Trends: Recent work analyzes interpreter roles in UK police custody settings, highlighting challenges in achieving equitable access. Earlier research explored BSL structure and cognitive processing, with findings published in linguistics journals.
- Awards:
- European Commission’s European Language Label Award (2017)
- Scottish Council on Deafness Partnership Working Award Nomination (2016)
- Heriot-Watt Principal's Public Engagement Prize Nominee (2017)
Grants & Advising: Collaborated on international development projects in Albania, Kosovo, Malawi, and Nepal. Advised on BSL Corpus and Deaf Brain projects. Played key roles in developing Insign platform guidelines and Justisigns training materials.
Labs & Teams: Active in the LINCS research group (led by Prof. Jemina Napier) at Heriot-Watt. Collaborated with Gabriella Vigliocco’s experimental psychology lab at UCL’s DCAL. Part of the Centre for Translation & Interpreting Studies Scotland.
