Postgraduate students

Ale is a PhD student supervised by Prof Jenny Gibson

Oktober is a PhD student supervised by Prof Jenny Gibson

Sarah Foster has a background in early years education and has lived and family experience of neurodivergence. She is currently pursuing a PhD project investigating how routine teaching practices support the speech, language and communication development of autistic children across early educational transitions. By working with a large Multi-Academy Trust to examine how different classroom practices interact with the individual language profiles of their autistic pupils’, the project aims to generate evidence to inform more inclusive learning opportunities for autistic children in mainstream settings.

PhD supervisor: Prof Jenny Gibson

PhD advisor: Prof Sonia Ilie

Belinda Henderson, born and raised in Bermuda, is currently pursuing her PhD with a dedicated focus on understanding and dismantling the barriers to Belonging experienced by many autistic children and young people while affirming its integral link to identity. With a diverse professional background spanning the music industry and psychology, she brings a wealth of experience to her academic pursuits. 

PhD supervisor: Prof Jenny Gibson. PhD advisor Prof Paul Ramchandani

Sammi Liang is a second-year PhD student researching language and communication differences in early childhood as potential indicators of neurodivergence, with a particular focus on preschool children aged 3-5 with ADHD characteristics. er doctoral research explores language profiles in young children with ADHD-related characteristics using mixed methods approach and involves a scoping review, an online survey study and a multiple-case study, with the aim of better understanding how language and communication development intersect with neurodivergence during the early years, and how children use language across contexts and settings informed by parents, educators and children themselves.

Sammi holds an undergraduate degree in Psychology and Linguistics from the University of Edinburgh and completed her master’s research on Developmental Language Disorder at PacLab under the supervision of Professor Jenny Gibson. Her research interests centre on child language development, neurodivergence, language and communication difficulties, and inclusive early years education.

PhD supervisor: Prof Jenny Gibson

PhD advisor: Prof Sara Baker

Zijia is a third-year PhD student, with a research interest in how young children understand and navigate the social world. Her PhD research examines how pretend play may afford children’s ability to imagine and reason about possibilities, particularly in social contexts, and how parents can support the development of these emerging cognitive and social skills. 

More broadly, her work is driven by an interest in how children use imagination, reasoning, and social understanding to make sense of the world and guide their interactions with others. 

Before joining Cambridge, Zijia completed an MSc in Child Development at University College London and a BSc in Psychology at East China Normal University. She is committed to understanding the cognitive and social foundations of children’s development and to conducting research that can inform how children are supported to thrive.

PhD Supervisor: Professor Jenny Gibson
PhD Advisor: Dr Will Farr

Kate  is a PhD student supervised by Prof Jenny Gibson

Sonja is a PhD student supervised by Prof Jenny Gibson

Sharon is currently a second-year PhD student. Her research focuses on how social-cognitive factors and experiences at school shape social-emotional wellbeing in adolescents with Developmental Language Disorder. She is also interested in how research can inform practice that fosters school inclusion and belonging for children with speech, language, and communication needs. Prior to joining Cambridge, Sharon completed an MSc in Language Sciences at University College London and a BSocSci in Psychology and Media Analytics at Nanyang Technological University.

PhD supervisors: Prof Jenny Gibson, Prof Claire Hughes

PhD advisor: Dr Mirjana Bozic