Lois Fairclough
PhD student, Associate LecturerResearch Overview
My research interests cover forensic phonetics and sociophonetics. My PhD investigates acoustic features used as a parameter for speaker identification, focussing on how effective they are in distinguishing individual speakers. I am also interested in investigating the limits of intra-speaker variation and the implications of this for forensic casework.
Current Research
I am currently employed as a Research Associate in Criminology, where I conduct quantitative survey analysis using data from the first-ever national survey on police uniforms in England and Wales. This research is being conducted in collaboration with the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW), with the aim of informing evidence-based policies on police uniform.
I am a Research Associate on "The Voice of the North: Language, accent, and identity through artistic innovation" project with Professor Claire Nance, in collaboration with Jewellers and Escape2Make (E2M). We adopt an innovative qualitative approach to understanding identity through accent, linking the physicality of speech and abstract responses of young poeple through artistic engagement.
I am a Research Assistant on the Targets and Dynamics in Speech (TARDIS) project led by Dr Sam Kirkham. I collect ultrasound tongue imaging data to analyse speech production in speakers from the North and South of England.
Current Teaching
LING223 - English Phonetics
30/04/2025 → 31/07/2026
Research
01/02/2025 → 06/06/2025
Research
01/10/2022 → …
Research
Participation in conference - Academic
Visiting an external academic institution
Participation in conference - Academic
Visiting an external academic institution
Visiting an external academic institution
Invited talk
Invited talk
Visiting an external academic institution
Publication peer-review
Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition
Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition
Participation in conference - Academic
Visiting an external academic institution
Visiting an external academic institution
Participation in conference - Academic
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Membership of committee
Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition
Participation in conference - Academic
Participation in conference - Academic
Participation in conference - Academic
Participation in conference - Academic
Membership of committee
Prize (including medals and awards)