Speech Physics Group

The Speech Physics Group investigates the physics and dynamics of the vocal tract during speech production. Our scientific goals are:

1. Uncover the physical laws that govern the control of speech.
2. Understand how the physics of the vocal tract condition the structure of spoken language.

Our research combines vocal tract imaging, biomechanical modelling, machine learning, and dynamical systems theory. We also develop novel hardware and software solutions to advance scientific discovery and public engagement in speech science. The group is part of the Phonetics Laboratory at Lancaster University and is affiliated with the Data Science and AI Institute.

Members

• Group leader: Sam Kirkham

• Postdoctoral researcher: We are currently advertising for this position! See below.

• Research assistant: Lois Fairclough

• Technician: Andrea Siem

• PhD student: Maya Dewhurst

• PhD student: Seren Parkman

• PhD student: Sarah Wang

Open positions

• Staff positions: Senior Research Associate in Machine Learning for Speech Processing (18 months, full-time). Deadline: 10 April 2026.
• Student assistants: We occasionally hire paid student research assistants with skills in data quality assessment, CAD modelling, fabrication, etc. Please get in touch if you think you could make a contribution to our research programme.
• PhD students: For PhD positions, we welcome enquiries from prospective students with backgrounds in linguistics, engineering, physics, robotics, or computer science. Please see the Phonetics Lab webpage for more information on applying.

Funding

• 2025–27: The Royal Society APEX (PI: Sam Kirkham, Co-Is: Anton Ragni, Aneta Stefanovska)
• 2024-25: UKRI AHRC Research, Development & Engagement Fellowship. (PI: Sam Kirkham)