Dr Naomi Cocks
Applications accepted all year round
Self-Funded PhD Students Only
About the Project
There is a growing body of research which has explored the relationship between language and gesture in both the healthy population and people who have aphasia. These studies have contributed to our understanding of the relationship between gesture and language and the creation of models which map this relationship. This highlights the importance of examining gesture production and comprehension as part of a clinical assessment. This PhD project would build on the existing body of research by exploring gesture production and/or comprehension in children who have specific language impairment, a relatively unexplored area. The findings will contribute to our theoretical understanding of the relationship between gesture and language and will also have clinical implications. The project supervisors are experts in the field of gesture (Dr Cocks) and specific language impairment (Dr Leitao). The project would be suitable for a student who has a background in speech pathology, linguistics or psychology.
University
The successful candidate will be based in the School of Psychology and Speech Pathology at Curtin University (http://healthsciences.curtin.edu.au/teaching/psych_home.cfm). Psychology at Curtin was ranked 4 our of 5 in the most recent Excellent in Research for Australia (ERA) exercise (corresponding to ‘Above World Ranking’) and the QS World University Rankings® by Subject list the School of Psychology and Speech Pathology in the world top 150. We have recently opened the extensive new Psychology Experimental Research Laboratories at Curtin (PERL-C), a world-class research facility located directly adjacent to our office space. Curtin University is ranked in the Top 50 Under 50, a ranking of the world’s top 50 universities established within the last 50 years, based on the highest performing young institutions in the QS World University Rankings®:
http://www.topuniversities.com/top-50-under-50/2013#sorting=rank+region=+country=+faculty=+stars=false+search=
The successful candidate will be aligned with one of the School’s research groups, which represent the key areas of research in the School (http://healthsciences.curtin.edu.au/teaching/psych_research.cfm).
Location
The university is located in Perth, Western Australia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perth), rated the 9th most liveable city in the world (https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/18692034/perth-in-top-ten-most-liveable-cities/.
Candidates wishing to find more information about studying for a PhD at Curtin University may wish to watch the following video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B20-7RNCzo&feature=youtu.be
Funding Notes
Eligibility requirements
Prospective applicants are advised to consult the university’s entry requirements for doctoral research degrees (http://research.curtin.edu.au/guides/hdrguidelines/admission.cfm#entry) before applying.
How to apply
A Curtin University application form can be found at http://www.curtin.edu.au/research/conduct-research/apply/index.cfm. General information about research degrees at Curtin can be found at http://www.curtin.edu.au/research/conduct-research/