Dr Sam Kirkham
Senior LecturerResearch Overview
I am senior lecturer in the , Department of Linguistics and English Language and Data Science Institute at 51福利. I am also associate editor at . I was awarded my PhD in 2014 from the .
My research aims to understand how complex systems generate behaviour over time, and how we can model and predict that behaviour. A particularly beautiful example is spoken language, which involves coordinating high-dimensional cognitive and physical dynamics in order to generate the sounds of speech in a rich social environment. My current research investigates how speakers reduce the complexity of speech production via low-dimensional control strategies. I do experiments that monitor acoustic signals and vocal tract movements using and technology, and build computational models of the cognitive and physical mechanisms that underpin spoken language. I apply these insights to longstanding scientific puzzles, such as sound change and the origins of phonological structure.
I am currently working on the following projects:
- Interpretable acoustic-articulatory relations in speech production (, 2025-27)
- Modelling the dynamics of phonetic variation & phonological change ( fellowship, 2024-25)
- TARDIS: Targets and dynamics in speech (, 2019-23)
Current Teaching
I am not teaching during the 2024/25, 2025/26 and 2026/27 academic years due to research grant commitments.
PhD Supervision Interests
I am interested in supervising students in the following areas: articulatory phonetics, vocal tract imaging, Articulatory Phonology / Task Dynamics, mathematical modelling of speech production and spoken language, computational speech processing, voice and robotics, bioacoustics.
01/10/2025 → 30/09/2027
Research
01/04/2024 → 30/12/2025
Research
01/10/2022 → …
Research
01/09/2019 → 31/08/2022
Research
01/07/2014 → 30/04/2016
Other
01/06/2014 → 31/12/2018
Other
01/10/2009 → 30/09/2012
Research
Participation in conference - Academic
Invited talk
Symposium
Invited talk
Invited talk
Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition
Invited talk
Editorial activity
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Invited talk
Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition
Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition
Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition
- Phonetics Lab