Saloni Krishnan

Saloni Krishnan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London, where she leads the Neuroscience of Communication Development Lab (www.ncodelab.com). She holds formal academic qualifications including a PhD from Birkbeck, University of London (2014), MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience from UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience (2009), and Bachelors in Audiology and Speech Language Pathology from Manipal University (2008).

• PhD, Birkbeck, University of London (2010-2014)
• MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience and Cognitive Neuropsychology, UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience (2008-2009)
• Bachelors in Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, Manipal University (2004-2008)

As a developmental cognitive neuroscientist, Krishnan investigates language organization in the developing brain, with particular focus on typical and atypical development including developmental language disorder (DLD), stuttering, and autism. Her current research examines how motivation and reward influence language learning using behavioral, computational, and MRI techniques, with significant funding from the Medical Research Council and Academy of Medical Sciences for studies involving children with dyslexia, DLD, and autism.

Analysis of her 31 research outputs reveals consistent focus on reward mechanisms in language learning across developmental disorders. Her most recent publications (2023-2025) emphasize reading motivation in dyslexia, intrinsic reward in word learning, and cross-syndrome comparisons of language learning motivation, demonstrating methodological diversity spanning fMRI, behavioral experiments, and computational modeling.

• APS Rising Star (2022)
• Neil O'Connor Prize (2021)
• BNA Credibility in Neuroscience Prize Commendation (2021)
• British Neuroscience Association Commendation for Open Science Leadership
• College Team Teaching Prize (2022)

Krishnan actively supervises research through projects funded by MRC, ESRC, Academy of Medical Sciences, and Experimental Psychology Society, including the active £500k MRC project on reward mechanisms in DLD and autism. She serves as Editor for Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Communications Psychology, and promotes inclusive research access through initiatives like her Times Higher Education article. Her lab maintains strong open science practices with datasets hosted on OSF and OpenNeuro.

The Neuroscience of Communication Development Lab operates at the intersection of cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychology, and clinical linguistics, maintaining collaborations across Oxford, UCL, and international institutions to advance understanding of language development mechanisms.