Sandra El Gemayel

Dr. Sandra El Gemayel is a Research Associate in the Department of Health and Education at Manchester Metropolitan University, where she has contributed to the UKRI-funded 'Toddlers, Tech and Talk' project since July 2022. Her work investigates how children aged 0-3 from diverse UK families use digital technologies at home to develop early language and literacy skills, with particular attention to family support mechanisms and wellbeing. Previously, she held research positions with Amna, Refugee Healing Network, and served as a Research Consultant on the DeCID project focused on displaced children.

Her educational background includes:

• PhD in Education from University College London, Institute of Education (2020), with doctoral research examining the play of Iraqi and Syrian child refugees in Lebanon following armed conflict and forced displacement
• MA in Early Years Education from University College London, Institute of Education (2015)

Dr. El Gemayel's research spans the intersection of early childhood development, digital technology integration, and refugee studies. She specializes in innovative qualitative methodologies that center children's voices, particularly through participatory approaches with vulnerable populations. Her work on refugee children's play examines how displacement transforms childhood experiences and learning opportunities, while her current research investigates digital literacy acquisition in infancy within diverse family contexts. She maintains a strong focus on cross-cultural perspectives and ethical research practices when working with young children.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a clear trajectory from refugee childhood studies toward contemporary investigations of digital media in early development. The 2023-2024 Toddlers, Tech and Talk outputs demonstrate concentrated research on parental mediation strategies, home learning environments, and socioeconomic factors in technology access for infants. Earlier works (2019-2021) established her expertise in refugee play contexts, with methodological innovations for researching displaced children. Common threads include attention to power dynamics in research relationships and the application of theoretical frameworks to real-world challenges.

Dr. El Gamayel has not received publicly documented scientific awards according to available sources.

While no formal PhD or Master's students are listed in her profile, her research leadership on major projects demonstrates significant mentorship capacity. She has secured funding through UKRI for the Toddlers, Tech and Talk project and contributed to the Global Challenges Research Fund-supported DeCID project. Her grant work emphasizes community-engaged research with practical policy implications for early childhood education and refugee support systems.

She is an active member of the interdisciplinary Toddlers, Tech and Talk research team at Manchester Metropolitan University, collaborating with experts across health, education, and technology fields to investigate contemporary challenges in early childhood development within post-digital family environments.