I conduct research in the broad field of cognitive development, more specifically examining the use of gesture by both child and adult learners and communicators, as well as concept learning by children and adults. I have partnered extensively with researchers in the fields of early childhood education and special education, as well as education more generally.

I completed my doctoral study, titled "Learning and decision processes in classification and feature inference" at UNSW in 2007. After completing Postdoctoral positions at the University of Sydney in the Department of Psychology and at Macquarie University in the then Institute of Early Childhood, I moved to a continuing academic position in the Department of Psychology at Macquarie University.

Cognitive development; gesture; learning; communication; early childhood; concept learning

I teach primarily in research methods and statistics. My current teaching duties are on the Honours and Masters of Research statistics units:

• PSYH4418 Design and Statistics IV
• PSYM7718 Advanced Research Design and Statistics

I supervise students on a range of topics, primarily in the areas of:

• Children’s use of gesture in their reporting of previously experienced events,
• The use of gesture in performing novel cognitive tasks, and
• The consequences of both observing and producing gesture for task performance.

I am currently the Director of Education for the School of Psychological Sciences.