معرفی
Professor Victoria Simms is Research Director and Professor of Psychology at Ulster University's School of Psychology, based at the Coleraine campus. She completed her PhD in Cognitive Psychology at Queen's University Belfast in 2008, followed by post-doctoral positions at Heriot-Watt University, QUB, and University of Leicester before joining Ulster University in 2013. She was promoted to Reader in 2018 and Professor of Developmental Psychology in 2021.
Her research examines mathematical cognition in typically and atypically developing children, long-term outcomes of preterm birth, cross-cultural mathematical comparisons, home learning environments, and neuroimaging of mathematical processing. Funded by Action Medical Research, Nuffield Foundation, and British Academy, her work bridges developmental psychology, education, and cognitive neuroscience.
Professor Simms' publications show consistent focus on mathematical development across neurodiverse populations, educational interventions, and methodological innovations. Recent work emphasizes preschool-to-school transitions, home learning impacts, and educational consequences of medical conditions like preterm birth and congenital disorders. Her articles employ diverse methodologies including longitudinal analysis, eye-tracking, and latent growth modeling.
Awards & Recognition:
- BPS Neil O'Connor Award (2015)
- ESPR Young Investigator Award (2013)
She leads multiple funded projects including studies on pain trajectories in Down Syndrome, active school design impacts, and congenital heart disease outcomes. As Research Director, she oversees doctoral candidates like Paul Stafford in psychology. She founded the ESRC Centre for Early Mathematical Learning and chairs the British Psychological Society's Developmental Section.
Professor Simms holds editorial roles as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Numerical Cognition and Section Editor for Cogent Psychology. She chairs the Northern Ireland Science Festival board, demonstrating commitment to science communication alongside her research and teaching responsibilities.
