I have had an atypical career path with relatively late entry into academia. I completed my first degree at the University of York (Psychology, 2009). I then completed an MSc (Occupational Psychology) at Birkbeck, University of London (2016) while working as an Intelligence Analyst. I missed academia and returned to it in 2016 to start a PhD on a topic that fascinated me during my undergraduate studies, numerical cognition. I completed my PhD at the Mathematics Education Centre (Loughborough) in 2020, and then secured a 3 year postdoctoral position at the University of Nottingham (2020 – 2024), where I investigated the role of inhibitory control in multiplication retrieval and learning. In 2024 I was awarded a Vice Chancellor Independent Research Fellowship at Loughborough to undertake my own research programme. I have had two periods of maternity leave (PhD and postdoc), just to add extra deviation to an atypical journey!
I am interested in how individuals learn and develop an understanding of different mathematical concepts and processes, and the factors that enable them to do so. More specifically, I am interested in how children’s understanding develops when they transition from arithmetic (primary school) to algebra (secondary school), and how the skills that they might possess in primary school could help or hinder their transition.
I am currently investigating:
- The relationship between algebraic thinking and algebraic notation in late primary school.
- The cognitive processes involved in solving different patterns.
- The strategies that children in late primary school use to solve arithmetic problems, and how teaching practices across different countries might influence this.
- The role of executive functions in mathematics.
MindMasters:
In 2024 I founded a new public engagement initiative called MindMasters. MindMasters consists of hands-on science and psychology days at science centres and museums, where 5-11 year old children and their families come to take part in research studies and hands-on games, and learn more about the University and our research. It has been run in Nottingham (Greens Windmill and Science Centre - Oct 2024, Feb 2025, May 2025, August 2025), and in Loughborough at Charnwood Museum (May 2025). All events have been wonderfully successful, with positive feedback from children, their parents, the museums and researchers. In May 2025, 1,162 individuals came to MindMasters in Charnwood! Due to the demand of the event, we are now running it annually in May half-term. A blog of the Windmill events is here.
Other public engagement events:
- Summer Scientist Week committee 2022-2024
- Science in schools 2022-2024
- Science in the park 2023
Three minute thesis winner: Loughborough University 2017: "The shortcut to mathematics".
Three minute thesis winner: East midlands region 2017: "The shortcut to mathematics".