Dr Sam Kirkham
Senior LecturerResearch Overview
I am senior lecturer in the Phonetics Lab, Department of Linguistics and English Language and Data Science Institute at Lancaster University. I am also associate editor at Journal of Phonetics. I was awarded my PhD in 2014 from the University of Sheffield.
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 sensors and imaging 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 (Royal Society, 2025-27)
- Modelling the dynamics of phonetic variation & phonological change (AHRC fellowship, 2024-25)
- TARDIS: Targets and dynamics in speech (AHRC, 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.
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Interpretable acoustic-articulatory relations in speech production
01/10/2025 → 31/12/2027
Research
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Modelling the dynamics of phonetic variation and phonological change
01/04/2024 → 30/12/2025
Research
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Lancashire Tongues
01/10/2022 → …
Research
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Targets and Dynamics in Speech - TARDIS
01/09/2019 → 31/08/2022
Research
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Intonational variation in North West England
01/07/2014 → 30/04/2016
Other
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Ultrasound tongue imaging of language contact varieties
01/06/2014 → 31/12/2018
Other
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AHRC: Ethnicity, social practice and phonetic variation
01/10/2009 → 30/09/2012
Research
UK Language Variation and Change 15
Participation in conference - Academic
Advances in dynamical models of speech: Frontiers and applications
Invited talk
DYMOS
Symposium
Discovering dynamical laws: Explorations in simplicity
Invited talk
Discovering dynamical models of articulatory control from data
Invited talk
Language Lab
Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition
Dynamical models of movement and mind in spoken language
Invited talk
Journal of Phonetics (Journal)
Editorial activity
Evolving accents: Unravelling the mysteries of sound change
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Ultrasound tongue imaging workshop
Invited talk
Lancashire Tongues - Burnley
Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition
Visible Voices
Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition
Lancashire Tongues - Blackburn
Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition
- Phonetics Lab