Professor of Psychology, Durham University
I am a developmental psychologist and I have been conducting research involving children and young people with Williams syndrome since 2000.
My main area of research interest is social behaviour – this involves studying the way we attend to social information, the way we process social information, and how we use that information in our everyday interactions. I am interested in both social proficiencies and social difficulties that are experienced by individuals with Williams syndrome.
Much of my work also involves children with Autism and children who do not have a developmental disability. As well as this focus on social behaviour, I have become increasingly interested in other aspects of Williams syndrome such as i) mental health issues including anxiety, ii) behaviours that might be part of Williams syndrome but which can overlap with other developmental disorders including sensory issues, and iii) understanding the child with Williams syndrome in their wider family system.
The work I conduct has both a scientific and an applied focus, and I strongly believe that both of these are important for driving forward knowledge and understanding of how to support individuals with Williams syndrome and their families.
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