Meet the Team

Academic Staff

Professor Danielle Matthews

I research how children learn to talk, in particular how infants and young children learn to use words and grammar to communicative effect.

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/psychology/people/academic/danielle-matthews

Dr Dan Carroll

My main research interest focuses on the cognitive mechanisms that allow children to think and act flexibly, in particular looking at the development of inhibitory control during early childhood.

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/psychology/people/academic/dan-carroll

Dr Emma Blakey

I specialise in understanding early cognitive development. I'm passionate about inclusive research, and projects that help us support early years practitioners and parents, who play an important role in fostering the development and wellbeing of children. I am especially interested in how executive functions, self-regulation and language develop and how they support attainment.

I have worked on several longitudinal studies and randomised control trial studies to understand early cognitive development and learning (Blakey et al.,2020; James-Brabham et al., 2023; Scerif et al.,2025). I am also interested in work that understands parent perspectives. For instance, I ran a research project to understand what it was like for people who became a parent for the first time during the Covid-19 pandemic.

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/psychology/people/academic/emma-blakey

Dr Sabrina Burr

I am interested in children’s numerical and mathematical cognition. I research how various factors influence concurrent and later mathematics achievement, including the home mathematics environment, language and culture, cognitive skills, mathematics anxiety, and ADHD. I am also interested in intervention work, with a focus on computer tutors to help children with complex mathematical subjects, such as fractions.

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/psychology/people/academic/sabrina-burr

Sheffield Cognitive Development Lab Photos

2024 Developmental Team

L-R back row: Dan Carroll, Sabrina Burr, Emma Blakey, Molly Jackson, Siya Kotak, Rosie Sherlock.

L-R front row: Danielle Matthews, Molly Wills, Keira Solaiman.

Missing: Emma Smith, Toni Loveridge, Rosemary Wareham, Emily Hancock.

2024 Developmental Conference

Some of the team (and lab alumni, Ella) at the BPS Developmental Psychology Conference, Glasgow.

2024 Summer Outing

SEYS team on a Summer walk outing

2019

Back row left-right: Dr Emma Blakey, Toni Loveridge, Yesim Yavaslar Dogru, Burcu Soy Telli, Emelie Chard, Jessica Williams, Eloise Prouten, Dr Francesco Sella, Dr Ciara Kelly.

Front row left-right: Dr Simone Bijvoet-van den Berg, Steph Powell, Ella James Brabham, Dr Danielle Matthews, Dr Dan Carroll.

Current PhD Students

Molly Willis

PhD topic: A closer look at parent responsiveness and childhood outcomes: A mixed method approach

Supervised by Dr Emma Blakey and Prof Danielle Matthews

Rosemary Wareham

PhD topic: The neural correlates of communication.

Rosemary completed her BMedSci in Speech Science in 2020 and subsequently worked as a paediatric Speech and Language Therapist in the NHS for a year. She completed her MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience and MA in Social Research before embarking on her PhD. In her spare time, Rosemary enjoys reading, climbing and doing aerial hoop!

Supervised by Professor Danielle Matthews and Dr Sabrina Burr.

Current Research Staff

Kiera Solaiman

Research Assistant working with Dr Danielle Matthews on the BBC Tiny Happy People Project. More information on the project can be found here.

Emma Smith

Emma is a Research Assistant working with Dr Emma Blakey, Dr Danielle Matthews and a wider team at Ulster and Loughborough on the PLUS Nuffield study. This study seeks to understand more about maths learning in the home. Emma has an MSc in Psychological Research and a BSc in Psychology. Emma has worked previously as a research assistant on the Sheffield Early Years Study with Emma, and the BBC Tiny Happy People project with Danielle.

Emily Hancock and Rosie Sherlock

Researchers working with Dr Danielle Matthews on the BBC Tiny Happy People Project. More information on the project can be found here.

Past lab members

Former Academic Staff Members

Dr Gideon Salter (now at the University of York)

Dr Simone Bijvoet-van den Berg

Dr Francesco Sella (now at Loughborough University)

Dr Elena Hoicka (now at the University of Bristol)

Dr Jane Herbert (now at Wollongong University, Australia)

Former Post-doctoral researchers

Dr Michelle McGillion - now at the University of Warwick

Dr Ciara Kelly - now at the University of Manchester

Former PhD students

Gemma Stephens (supervised by Dr Danielle Matthews)

Ella James-Brabham (supervised by Dr Blakey and Dr Carroll) - Currently working as a post-doctoral researcher at the MEC, Loughborough University

Yesim Yavaslar Dogru (supervised by Dr Carroll and Dr Blakey) - Lecturer at Kent University, Researcher at Brock University.

Steph Powell

Burcu Soy Telli

Ciara Kelly

Connor Heapy

Andrea Diaz-Barriga Yanez

Sophie Turnbull

Birsu Kandemirci

Ed Donnellan

Emma Blakey

Lily FitzGibbon

Michelle McGillion

Elif Kaplan

Former Research Staff Members

Molly Jackson (worked with Emma on the Sheffield Early Years Study as lead research assistant)

Toni Loveridge (worked with Emma on the ONE maths Intervention)

Holly Amos (worked with Emma on the ONE maths Intervention) - now a researcher at Loughborough University (CEML)

Carmel Brough (worked with Emma on the ONE maths Intervention)- now a researcher at the University of Bristol

Molly Willis (worked with Emma on the Sheffield Early Years Study) - now a current PhD student

Hannah Palmer (worked with Emma on the ONE maths Intervention) - now a researcher at the University of Oxford

Molly Staley (worked with Emma on the ONE maths Intervention)

Genna White (worked with Danielle on the Tiny Happy People project)

Emma Thornton - now a researcher at the University of Manchester

Lisa Pepper, Jessica Buck, Ellen Ridley, Emma Sullivan, Ben Higgins, Dr David Cameron (worked with Emma and Dan on a trial of an executive function programme)

Eloise Prouten

Lowri Thomas

Undergraduate/Masters Student Research Interns

2025: Ellie Luong and Phoebe O'Crawley (SMI placement award students)

2024: Rahnuma Aroshi; Cristina Pellegrino Jimenez and Eleanor Bowie (SMI placement award students)

2023: Sylvana West (funded by a Wellcome Trust Biomedical Scholarship to Blakey), Mae Wallace (2023; SMI placement award student)

2021: Libby Hines (SURE)

2020: Olivia King (SURE)

2019: Toni Loveridge (MSc student), Jessica Williams (SURE)

2018-19: Helen Grimshaw (OnCampus, MSc student), Emelie Chard (EPS)

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