Samantha Durrant is a Lecturer and Research Associate in the Division of Psychology Communication and Human Neuroscience . She holds an honorary role as a Research Associate at the University of Liverpool (2020–2026). Her teaching spans clinical research and language development at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Durrant earned a PhD in Developmental Psychology from the University of Plymouth (2014) and a BSc in Psychology (2009). She is a Fellow of Advance HE (2024), recognizing her teaching expertise. Her research focuses on language acquisition in toddlers , including mechanisms of word learning, dialect exposure effects, and the interplay between executive function and language development. Collaborations with global researchers explore topics like infant-directed speech preferences and bilingualism. Her work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to education. Key findings include links between nonword repetition skills and vocabulary growth, and how curiosity-driven motor exploration influences language outcomes. She leads projects like the Language 0-5 Project , investigating long-term language development trajectories. Grants/Awards : Fellow of Advance HE (2024). Advising : Accepting PhD students in developmental psychology and language acquisition. Labs/Teams : Core member of the Language 0-5 Project; collaborator in multi-lab studies on infant cognition. Media contributions include blogs on child language development and expert commentary on cognitive milestones.







