Dr Anastasia Giannakopoulou

Senior Lecturer in Psychology

Anastasia Giannakopoulou

I am interested in brain plasticity and its relation to language learning and development in typical and atypical populations.

My background in both psychology and psycholinguistics has sparked my research work in speech perception and auditory perceptual training using specialised computer software programmes and smartphone applications. I use behavioural as well as electroencephalography (EEG) techniques to investigate online brain response to auditory and visual stimuli with experimental designs looking into native and non-native language speakers.

I also work on age-related factors with implications on language learning (for example, child learners versus adult learners), how it is possible to 'train' the brain taking advantage of its neuroplastic abilities. This strand of work also has implications and can benefit not only healthy but also language impaired populations.

I have a growing interest in the area of ageing psychology, both healthy and pathological (e.g. MCI, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and other age-related deficits). I teach cognitive and developmental psychology, covering areas of typical and atypical development.

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PhD in Psychology - Brunel University London
PGCert in Teaching and Learning in HE - Brunel University London (HEA Accredited)
MPhil in English and Applied Linguistics - Cambridge University
BA (Hons) English Language Studies - University of Central Lancashire

Teaching UG/PG students
Unit Co-ordinator
Supervising UG/PG student research projects
Personal Academic Tutor
Neuropsychology Lab leader (EEG & Eye-Tracking)
Student Research Assistant Scheme coordinator
Junior Research Institute, Co-director

Neural plasticity
Typical and atypical cognitive development
Language acquisition
Speech perception
Brain plasticity in first and second language learning
High variability perceptual training (HVPT)
Design, development and evaluation of language learning computer training tools and smartphone applications
Psychology of Ageing (healthy and pathological ageing)
EEG /neuroimaging techniques

British Psychological Society (BPS) – Chartered membership (CPsychol, DoN)
Fellow with the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
British Association of Cognitive Neuroscience (BACN)
The Acoustical Society of America (ASA)
International Speech Communication Association (ISCA)
British Association for Applied Linguistics (BAAL)
Greek Applied Linguistics Association (GALA)
Linguistic Society, Cambridge University (CamLing)
St. Catharine's College member and representative, Cambridge University

'Reading' Smartphone App Evaluation project
European Regional Development Fund & Innovation Bridge Consultancy Project
'Language learning and variability' project (funded by the British Academy)
'ListenUp!' with the MRC CBU (Cambridge) and the Science Museum (London)
Language learning smartphone application development project aimed at Japanese learners of English in collaboration with Sharp Laboratories
Speech perception testing and training (HVPT)

Wonnacott, E._,Giannakopoulou, A, Brown, H., Clayards, M.(2017). High or Low? Comparing high-and low-variability phonetic training in adult and child second language learners. Speech Perception and Production Across the Lifespan 26-27 April 2017, UCL.
Giannakopoulou, A., Uther, M., Ylinen, S. (2017). Phonetic and orthographic cues are weighted in speech sound perception by second language speakers: Evidence from Greek speakers of English. Learning and Plasticity (LaP) meeting, 2 – 5 April 2017, Äkäslompolo, Finland.

Davis, M. H., Evans, S., McCarthy, K., Evans, L., Giannakopoulou, A., & Taylor, J. S. H. (2019, January 29). Lexical learning shapes the development of speech perception until late adolescence. Preprint available at: doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/ktsey
Giannakopoulou, A., Brown, H., Clayards, M., Wonnacot, E. (2017). High or Low? Comparing High- and Low-Variability Phonetic Training in Adult and Child Second Language Learners. PeerJ 5:e3209, doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3209
Giannakopoulou, A., Uther, M., Ylinen, S. (2016). Phonetic and orthographic cues are weighted in speech sound perception by second language speakers: Evidence from Greek speakers of English. POMA, Acoustical Society of America, 20 (060011). ISSN 1939-800X.