My research focuses on improving educational outcomes and wellbeing for typically developing children and those with Special Educational Needs using evidence from cognitive and developmental psychology as well as neuroscience.

Development is a complex process, involving interactions between various domains across levels of description, including biological processes (genes and brain), cognition and behaviour (see model Morton and Frith 1995). Environmental differences impact each of these levels over development, including education, policies related to education and SEND, and home environment. In addition, cognitive processes include both domain general and domain specific ones and the impact of each of these processes on developmental outcomes are likely to change over development and differ across individuals. In sum, cognitive development is complex. My ultimate goal is to obtain a better understanding of the complexity of development, especially the impact of environmental factors such as educational practice, education policies, and home environment, on number and language development through the study of cross-syndrome comparisons (for example Autism, Down syndrome, Mathematical learning difficulties, Williams syndrome) and individual differences. A better understanding of this complexity will allow for an improved SEN pedagogy that is based on basic research and as such evidenced-informed. My research is interdisciplinary including evidence from educational neuroscience, psychology, linguistics and education. I use a range of methodologies, including eye tracking studies, developmental trajectories and longitudinal studies as well as interventions programmes in order to obtain a better understanding of the complexity of development. My research has been funded by various funding bodies, including the Nuffield Foundation, Baily Thomas Charitable Fund, British Academy, Jerome Lejeune Foundation and Williams Syndrome Foundation