Traci Walker

Dr. Traci Walker is a Senior Lecturer in Human Communication Sciences at the School of Allied Health Professions, Nursing and Midwifery, University of Sheffield. As a linguist and phonetician, she employs Conversation Analysis (CA) methodology to investigate how syntactic and phonetic structures function in typical and atypical communication. Her research spans medical interactions and digital healthcare technologies aimed at improving diagnostic pathways.

• BA, MA, PhD in Linguistics/Phonetics

Her research focuses include:

• Combining phonetic and interactional analyses
• Interactional analysis of medical consultations
• Communication in atypical populations (aphasia, dementia, autism)

The 15 most recent publications demonstrate consistent application of CA methodology across diverse clinical contexts, including seizure diagnosis, dementia detection, and aphasia communication. Technical approaches frequently involve automated speech analysis, virtual agents, and NLP techniques applied to medical transcripts.

• NIHR Health and Social Care Delivery Research grant: Improving Triadic Decision-making Involving People with Dementia

Her work emphasizes practical applications of linguistic analysis for improving clinical decision-making and patient autonomy, with ongoing collaborations across neuroscience, medical ethics, and computer science domains.