My educational background is in descriptive and applied linguistics and I completed my PhD in Norman French dialects in the Department of French at the University of Melbourne. Since then the focus of my work has mainly been in applied linguistics. Before coming to the University of Warwick in 2016, I worked at a number of universities in Australia teaching in both linguistics and applied linguistics. In 1999, I was one of the founding editors of the journal Current Issues in Language Planning, and since 2014 I have been the Executive Editor. I am also co-editor with Michael Byram of the book series Language and Intercultural Communication in Education, published by Multilingual Matters.

Steve Mann (Professor of Applied Linguistics) currently works at the Centre for Applied Linguistics at the University of Warwick. He has experience in Hong Kong, Japan and Europe in both English language teaching and teacher development. He has published various books including ‘Innovations in Pre-service Teacher Education’ (British Council) and ‘Reflective Practice in English Language Teaching: Research-Based Principles and Practices’ (Routledge). He is interested in qualitative methodology and has published a book with Palgrave on research interviews. He leads a group of PhD students who are researching aspects of teacher education and development.

I am an Early-career Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Study. I completed my PhD in Applied Linguistics at University of Warwick. I have been awarded the Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and was Fellow of the Warwick International Higher Education Academy (WIHEA). I am the Institutional Representative for University of Warwick of the British Academy Early Career Researcher Network (ECRN), and co-chairing the ECR Network of the Society & Culture Interdisciplinary Research Spotlight. I am working as a Research Associate in the ERCF-funded AI Commons Project. I am an active member of the Human In The Loop network, working with academics at the University of Leeds and universities from Chile, Nigeria and Spain on the TRAILS project deciphering the representational and cultural biases of multimodal generative AI. I have been appointed as a Fellow of Warwick Institute of Engagement (WIE). I was a member of the Participatory Research Cohort at the Warwick Impact Academy.

I have published research papers in internationally reputed peer-reviewed journals in areas of applied linguistics, discourse and interactional approaches, public and mental health. I have been working as Associate Editor and Guest Editor for international peer-reviewed research journals on AI, interdisciplinary research, and student experience in higher education. I am currently co-leading the AI Equity and Sustainability Working and Discovery Group of Warwick in the QS Responsible AI Consortium, with Dr Tom Ritchie (Chemistry) and Dr Jessica Savage (GSD).

My research interests cover multimodal communication, conversation analysis, human-human interaction, and human-AI interaction. In my PhD research, I delved into the multimodal interactional processes where peers undertake relationship work during group interaction. I am an interdisciplinary researcher with recent interests spanning behavioural change theories, health interventions, digital and mental health, and research culture. My supervisors were Professor Tony Liddicoat and Professor Steve Mann. Alongside my PhD in Applied Linguistics, I have developed my expertise, knowledge and skills in public and mental health, earning a series of qualifications in this field from the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH). As an Interdisciplinary Applied Linguist, I worked as a Postdoctoral Research Assistant in the Participatory Action Research and Feasibility Study of the InterDine project (funded by the Medical Research Council) to develop a digital mental health intervention for university students to navigate social integration and loneliness. 

I have been acting as PI for research projects about AI in higher education and AI for mental health and social integration, such as the AI Interdisciplinary Research Spotlight-funded project Exploring University Students’ Experience of Using Conversational AI for Mental Health Purposes

and the WIHEA-funded project Understanding University Students’ Experiences of Using AI For Academic Work. 

I am involved in several programmes and training initiatives across different departments at Warwick. I am responsible for lecture and seminar teaching on the Spoken Interaction course and dissertation supervision for the MA TESOL programme in the Centre for Applied Linguistics.

In addition, I worked as a Facilitator for the Intercultural Training programme at Warwick Student Opportunity and as an Associate Tutor for both the Department of Computer Science and Warwick Medical School. I also served as an Interdisciplinary Research Project Mentor for the Department of Chemistry, and a Postgraduate Mentor for Social Mobility Student Research Hub.

Previously, I worked as a Peer-to-Peer Tutor for On-Track Talk, the Academic Writing Station, and the Language Exchange Programme at Warwick Library. I also worked as a Warwick Library Student Partner, supporting and organising various events such as Research Refresh, PG Tips, and Undergraduate Open Day.