about

sk

I am senior lecturer in the Phonetics Lab and Department of Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University.

My research aims to understand structure and variability in the sound systems of human language. I am particularly interested in laboratory phonology, sound change, and the mathematics of dynamical systems. The majority of my work investigates speech production using electromagnetic articulography, ultrasound tongue imaging, and computational modelling.

I have previously done research on the phonetics of bilingualism, language contact, sociophonetic variation, minority languages, and phonetic typology.

Current research

I am currently working on the following projects:

  • Modelling the dynamics of phonetic variation & phonological change (AHRC fellowship, 2024-25)
  • Targets and dynamics in speech (with Patrycja Strycharczuk, AHRC standard grant, 2019-23)

Upcoming conference presentations

  • Variance and invariance in phonological representation: Insights from articulation. Satellite workshop at LabPhon 19 (co-organised with Patrycja Strycharczuk)
  • Gender-specific behaviour in vowel articulation. LabPhon 19 (with Patrycja Strycharczuk [lead author], Takayuki Nagamine, Emily Gorman & Adrian Leemann)
  • Dynamical modelling of vowel diphthongisation. LabPhon 19 (with Patrycja Strycharczuk & Emily Gorman)
  • Discovering dynamical models of speech using physics-informed machine learning. ISSP.
  • A dynamic neural field model of vowel diphthongisation. ISSP (with Patrycja Strycharczuk)
  • Dimensions of structure and variability in the human vocal tract. ISSP (with Katherine Vaughan-Williams [lead author] & Steve Moran)
  • Acquiring tongue shape complexity in Scottish Gaelic consonants. ISSP (with Claire Nance [lead author])
  • Discovering fundamental principles of articulatory dynamics from data. BAAP.
  • Dimensions of stability in vowel articulation. BAAP (with Patrycja Strycharczuk [lead author], Emily Gorman & Takayuki Nagamine)
  • Articulatory acquisition of complex consonants in Scottish Gaelic. BAAP (with Claire Nance [lead author])

Recent presentations

  • A dynamical theory of vowel variation and change. Plenary talk at P&P 2023, October 2023.
  • The dynamics of vowel variation and change. Phonetics Colloquium talk at UZH, October 2023.
  • Co-registration of simultaneous high-speed ultrasound and electromagnetic articulography for speech production research. ICPhS 2023, August 2023.
  • Reconciling spatial and dynamic aspects of variation and change. UKLVC 14, June 2023.
  • Dynamical modelling of synchronic variation and diachronic change. Change in syntax and phonology: the same or different?, December 2022.