College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine

Prize for early career success

A prestigious award to recognise outstanding contributions to the field of developmental psychology has been awarded to Dr Sue Fletcher-Watson of the University’s Patrick Wild Centre.

The annual prize – the Margaret Donaldson Early Career Prize – is awarded by the British Psychological Society to researchers within ten years of completing their PhD.

Learning disorders

Dr Fletcher-Watson’s research focuses on how children develop and learn, with particular interest in how this is altered in children with learning disorders and intellectual disabilities.

Her work explores how we can characterise the early abilities and difficulties of babies who have either already experienced adversity – such as those born prematurely – or who later go on to receive a specific diagnosis, such as autism.

Interventions

Her research aims to improve outcomes for such babies and young children through the development of new interventions.

Keynote address

As winner of the award, Dr Fletcher-Watson has been invited to deliver a keynote address at the annual conference of the British Psychological Society’s Developmental Section.

Related links

Margaret Donaldson Early Career Prize

Patrick Wild Centre