Dr Sam Kirkham
Senior LecturerResearch Overview
I am senior lecturer in the , Department of Linguistics and English Language and Data Science Institute at Lancaster University. I am also associate editor at . I was awarded my PhD in 2014 from the .
My research investigates the dynamics of spoken language, such as how people coordinate movements of the tongue, lips and larynx to produce speech. 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 a range of longstanding scientific puzzles, such as the control of speech production, the mysteries of sound change, and how to improve the use of speech technologies in everyday life. In doing so, I draw upon theory and methods from linguistics, cognitive science, physics, and computer science.
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 on a fellowship during 2024/25 and not currently teaching.
PhD Supervision Interests
I am interested in supervising students in the following areas: (1) articulatory phonetics / vocal tract imaging / sound change; (2) laboratory phonology / articulatory phonology / task dynamics; (3) computational/mathematical modelling of articulation, sound change, language dynamics, etc; (4) creative approaches to interesting questions in speech research.
01/04/2024 → 30/09/2025
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
Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
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