Dr Anna Weighall

BSc (Hons) in Psychology, DPhil in Psychology

School of Education

Reader in Psychology and Education

Research Governance Lead for Education

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anna.weighall@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 3633
The Wave

Full contact details

Dr Anna Weighall
School of Education
The Wave
2 Whitham Road
Sheffield
S10 2AH
Profile

Dr. Anna Weighall is a Reader in Cognitive and Developmental Psychology at the School of Education, with a cross-disciplinary focus encompassing Education and Psychology. She specialises in the intricate relationships between sleep, memory, and learning, along with spoken language development and vocabulary acquisition across different age groups and linguistic backgrounds. She is also an expert in sleep research, including the role of sleep in mental health and wellbeing.

Qualifications

DPhil Psychology, University of York

BSc (Hons) Psychology, University of York

Research interests

Dr. Weighalls research employs a multi-faceted experimental approach aimed at understanding the complex interplay between sleep, memory, and language learning. Notable areas of focus include:

  • Vocabulary learning among monolingual and multilingual speakers.
  • Memory consolidation processes in typically developing children and those with learning disorders, such as dyslexia.
  • The role of sleep in mental health and wellbeing.
  • Application of implementation science to educational interventions.
  • The symbiotic relationship between physical health and cognitive performance, and the development of interventions that holistically improve well-being and educational outcomes.
Publications

Journal articles

  • Colbert E, Powell L, Weighall A & Gibson-Miller J (2025) . Neurodiversity, 3.
  • Oxley E, Nash HM & Weighall AR (2025) . International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 48(1), 29-43.
  • Nash H, Dixon C, Clarke P, Oxley E, Gellert AS & Weighall A (2024) . Reading and Writing, 1-27.
  • Court RJ, Swallow V, El-Yousfi S, Gray-Burrows K, Sotir F, Wheeler G, Kellar I, Lee JM, Mitchell R, Mlynarczyk W , Ramavath A et al (2024) . Archives of Disease in Childhood, 109(10), 826-835.
  • Elkhafif B, Havelka J, Burke MR & Weighall A (2024) . Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 77(1), 160-173.
  • Weighall A & Kellar I (2023) . Emerging Topics in Life Sciences, 7(5), 513-524.
  • Wang H, Nation K, Gaskell MG, Robidoux S, Weighall A & Castles A (2022) . Child Development, 93(4), 1145-1153.
  • Blackwell JE, Kingshott RN, Weighall A, Elphick HE & Nash H (2022) . Archives of Disease in Childhood, 107(1), 7-11.
  • Powell L, Parker J, Weighall A & Harpin V (2022) . Journal of Attention Disorders, 26(3), 340-357.
  • Mousa S, Latchford G, Weighall A, Nash H, Murray-Leslie R, Reuber M, Relton SD & Graham CD (2021) . Epilepsy & Behavior, 117.
  • P矇rez-Carbonell L, Meurling IJ, Wassermann D, Gnoni V, Leschziner G, Weighall A, Ellis J, Durrant S, Hare A & Steier J (2020) . Journal of Thoracic Disease, 12(S2), S163-S175.
  • Smith FRH, Gaskell MG, Weighall A, Warmington MA, Reid A & Henderson LM (2018) . Developmental Science, 21(5), ---.
  • Blackwell JE, Alammar HA, Weighall AR, Kellar I & Nash HM (2017) . Sleep Medicine Reviews, 34, 82-93.
  • James E, Gaskell MG, Weighall A & Henderson L (2017) . Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 77, 1-13.
  • Weighall AR, Henderson LM, Barr DJ, Cairney SA & Gaskell MG (2017) . Brain and Language, 167, 13-27.
  • Henderson L, Devine K, Weighall A & Gaskell G (2015) . Developmental Psychology, 51(3), 406-417.
  • Henderson L, Weighall A & Gaskell G (2013) . Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 116(3), 572-592.
  • Henderson L, Weighall A, Brown H & Gaskell G (2013) . Child Development, 84(5), 1668-1685.
  • Brown KG, Reidy JG, Weighall AR & Arden MA (2013) . Addiction, 108(4), 820-825.
  • Henderson LM, Weighall AR, Brown H & Gareth Gaskell M (2012) . Developmental Science, 15(5), 674-687.
  • Brown H, Weighall A, Henderson LM & Gareth Gaskell M (2012) . Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 112(1), 56-72.
  • WEIGHALL AR & ALTMANN GTM (2011) . Journal of Child Language, 38(3), 579-605.
  • Weighall AR (2008) . Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 99(2), 75-95.
  • McMurray R, Cheater FM, Weighall A, Nelson C, Schweiger M & Mukherjee S (2004) Managing controversy through consultation: A qualitative study of communication and trust around MMR vaccination decisions. British Journal of General Practice, 54(504), 520-525.

Conference proceedings

  • Perez-Carbonell L, Meurling IJ, Wassermann D, Gnoni V, Leschziner G, Weighall A, Ellis J, Durrant S, Hare A & Steier J (2021) . European Respiratory Journal, Vol. 58(65) (pp PA2080-PA2080). Virtually, 5 September 2021 - 5 September 2021.
  • Weighall A & West J (2021) . BSS Scientific Conference 2021 abstracts book, Vol. 8(Suppl 1) (pp A29-A29). Virtual, online, 4 November 2021 - 4 November 2021.
  • Weighall A, Nash H & Kellar I (2019) . Poster Presentations (pp A40.3-A41)
  • Turton C, Hamilton A, Weighall A & Kellar I (2019) . Poster Presentations (pp A40.2-A40)
  • Kellar I, Hyde A, Love A, Naylor C, Naylor A-JP & Weighall A (2019) . Poster Presentations (pp A40.1-A40)

Reports

  • Weighall A, Nash H, Oxley E & Gellert A (2024) Can dynamic assessment predict reading development be used to predict reading dificulties?

Preprints

  • Oxley E, Nash H & Weighall A (2022) , Center for Open Science.
Grants

SELECTED GRANTS & AWARDS

PI: A modelling and feasibility study of a Positive Early Childhood Education (PECE). The Nuffield Foundation. Weighall, A., Ian Kellar, I., Bowyer-Crane, C. 瞿260.198. (April 2022 - February 2025)

Co-I: Using dynamic learning tasks to identify children at-risk of reading disorder. Nuffield Trust. Nash, H., Clarke & Weighall, A., 330K. (Jan 2019-Jan 2021)

Academic Lead: White Rose ESRC PhD Network (2015) Understanding and enhancing reading and language skills in children learning English as an Additional Language (EAL),  ~瞿170, 000 (October 2015 Sept 2018)

PI: Promoting memory for newly learned words in adulthood: Comparing the effects of wakeful-rest and interference.Experimental Psychology Society Research Bursary, 瞿2k, Weighall, A. (July 2015-Sept 2015)

Co- I: Low cost, long-term measurement of motor activity and REM sleep. ESRC White Rose Collaboration Fund. 瞿10,893 (Wade, A., Weighall, A., Cairney, S., Burke, M., Bandmann, O, McNeill, A. (July 2015 Sept 2016)

Academic PI: Does adenotonsillectomy improve sleep in preschool children with sleep disordered breathing and does this lead to improvements in cognition? 瞿35K NHS R & D South Tees: Pump priming funding.  Tremlett, M., Weighall, A. Nash, H. & Kellar, I. (April 2016 Aug 2017)

Steering group member: A Better Start Bradford Big Lottery, 瞿49m.  Innovation Hub  Language and Communication workstream. (Jan 2015 Jan 2225)

Co-Investigator: Sleep and language learning in dyslexia and co-occurring disorders. The Waterloo Foundation.  51k. (PI Dr Lisa Henderson, York). (March 2014 Feb 2015)    

Co- Investigator: Novel word integration in adults and children. PI Professor Gareth Gaskell, University of York. Leverhulme Trust, 瞿159,000. (co-wrote and co-managed the grant). (Sep 2010-Aug 2015).

Teaching activities

Dr Weighall teaches across the MSc Psychology and Education (Conversion) MA in Psychology and Education and BA. Key areas of teaching include:

  • Developmental Psychology and language development 
  • Sleep in development
  • The role of sleep in memory consolidation
  • Quantitative Research Methods 
  • Neuroscience and Education
  • Cognitive Psychology
Professional activities and memberships

Dr. Weighalls professional contributions extend beyond academia. She serves on the executive committee of the and holds memberships in the , , and the . Her work is integral to various thematic clusters within the School of Education, including Education and Psychology, Early Childhood Education, and Literacies and Language.


 

Media Appearances and Contributions

Dr Weighall has made numerous media appearances on national TV and radio. She has also contributed to non academic publications and podcasts. These include:

  • BBC Radio 4, Womans Hour: 
  • BBC Radio 4: PM
  • Talk Radio: show
  • Local BBC and commercial radio
  • Times Educational Supplement: Times Educational Supplement: .
  • Scope Disability Forum:
  • Naked Neuroscience podcast:
  • World Universities Network (WUN):

Links

Supporting a Positive Early Childhood Education project