Metadata
Title
Developmental Psychology
Category
graduate
UUID
2797dc193c6f401bb51dfede005c2316
Source URL
https://www.brookes.ac.uk/research/units/hls/groups/developmental-psychology
Parent URL
https://www.brookes.ac.uk/engage-and-innovate/consultancy
Crawl Time
2026-03-19T05:14:43+00:00
Rendered Raw Markdown
# Developmental Psychology

**Source**: https://www.brookes.ac.uk/research/units/hls/groups/developmental-psychology
**Parent**: https://www.brookes.ac.uk/engage-and-innovate/consultancy

Group Leader(s):
[Professor Luci Wiggs](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/profiles/staff/luci-wiggs)

Contact:

[hlsresearch@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:hlsresearch@brookes.ac.uk)

Select a section

Showing all research info

About us

Research impact

Leadership

Membership

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[About us](#research-about)
[Research impact](#research-impact)
[Leadership](#research-leadership)
[Membership](#research-team)

[next or previous](#)

## About us

The work of this group has three main strands:

- cognitive and social development
- language and literacy
- development and disorder.

Some of our research focuses on the description of typical development and explanation of developmental processes in different domains. Other work is concerned with understanding the mechanisms underlying atypical development and an examination of ways to support children, young people and their families.

Much of our work is conducted in schools and family homes. Research conducted on site at Oxford Brookes usually takes place in one of our specialist labs. We have a [BabyLab](https://babylab.brookes.ac.uk/) with special facilities including an observation room and eye-tracker. The [PuMA (Perception and Motion Analysis) Lab](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/research/units/hls/groups/cognition-and-cognitive-neuroscience/puma-lab) houses a 3D motion analysis system, with infrared cameras to track the coordinates of small reflective markers placed on the body to helps us understand how movements are planned and executed and to investigate the nature of movement difficulties. We also have a [Writing Lab](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/research/units/hls/groups/cognition-and-cognitive-neuroscience/writing-lab) with equipment for the detailed recording and analysis of spelling, handwriting and keyboarding behaviour.

### Part of

- [School of Psychology, Social Work and Public Health](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/phpd "School of Psychology, Social Work and Public Health")
- [Centre for Psychological Research (CfPR)](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/research/units/hls/centres/centre-for-psychological-research)

### Related courses

- [Psychology (MSc / PGDip / PGCert)](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/psychology-msc)

## Research impact

Several staff in this research group work with professionals from other disciplines including health and education and are concerned with the production of practical assessment tools and the evaluation of intervention approaches to help children and young people achieve their full potential.

For example, staff have developed and published a new suite of standardised assessment tools providing practitioners with means to improve identification of and support for individuals with movement and handwriting difficulties across the world. Other staff have developed an online intervention to help improve the sleep of children with epilepsy. This is currently being evaluated to see how this impacts the sleep and quality of life of the children and their families.

We also engage in various public engagement events to share our research with parents, children, professionals and the wider community.

## Leadership

### Professor Luci Wiggs

- [lwiggs@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:lwiggs@brookes.ac.uk)

Professor of Psychology

[View profile  for Luci Wiggs](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/profiles/staff/luci-wiggs)

## Membership

Staff members
Research students

- Staff
- Students

slide 1 of 2

### Staff

| Name | Role | Email |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Dr Olivia Afonso](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/profiles/staff/olivia-afonso) | Senior Lecturer in Psychology | [afonso.o@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:afonso.o@brookes.ac.uk) |
| [Professor Anna Barnett](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/profiles/staff/anna-barnett) | Professor of Psychology | [abarnett@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:abarnett@brookes.ac.uk) |
| [Professor Vincent Connelly](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/profiles/staff/vincent-connelly) | Professor & Programme Lead for Psychology | [vconnelly@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:vconnelly@brookes.ac.uk) |
| [Dr Georgia Cook](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/profiles/staff/georgia-cook) | Research Fellow | [gcook@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:gcook@brookes.ac.uk) |
| [Professor Guida de Abreu](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/profiles/staff/guida-de-abreu) | Professor of Psychology | [gabreu@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:gabreu@brookes.ac.uk) |
| [Dr Nayeli Gonzalez-Gomez](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/profiles/staff/nayelia-gonzalez) | Reader in Psychology | [ngonzalez-gomez@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:ngonzalez-gomez@brookes.ac.uk) |
| [Professor Margaret Harris](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/profiles/staff/margaret-harris) | Emeritus Professor of Psychology | [margaretharris@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:margaretharris@brookes.ac.uk) |
| [Dr Ben Kenward](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/profiles/staff/ben-kenward) | Senior Lecturer in Psychology | [bkenward@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:bkenward@brookes.ac.uk) |
| [Dr Sunae Kim](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/profiles/staff/sunae-kim) | Senior Lecturer in Psychology | [s.kim@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:s.kim@brookes.ac.uk ) |
| [Kelly Lambert](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/profiles/staff/kelly-lambert) | Researcher | [klambert@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:klambert@brookes.ac.uk) |
| [Dr Claire Lee](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/profiles/staff/claire-lee) | Research Fellow, Centre for Psychological Research | [clairelee@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:clairelee@brookes.ac.uk) |
| [Dr Lynsey O'Rourke](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/profiles/staff/lynsey-o-rourke) | Lecturer in Public Health. | [l.orourke@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:l.orourke@brookes.ac.uk) |
| [Dr Nichola Stuart](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/profiles/staff/nichola-stuart) | Associate Researcher in Psychology | [nstuart@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:nstuart@brookes.ac.uk) |
| [Kirsty Walter](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/profiles/staff/kirsty-walter) | Psychology Demonstrator | [kwalter@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:kwalter@brookes.ac.uk) |
| [Professor Kate Wilmut](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/profiles/staff/kate-wilmut) | Professor of Psychology | [k.wilmut@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:k.wilmut@brookes.ac.uk) |
| [Dr Karen Zhoc](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/profiles/staff/ching-hsiang-zhoc) | Lecturer in Psychology | [karen.zhoc@brookes.ac.uk](mailto:karen.zhoc@brookes.ac.uk) |

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