Dr Sabrina Burr

School of Psychology

Lecturer in Psychology

Photo of Sabrina Burr
Profile picture of Photo of Sabrina Burr
s.burr@sheffield.ac.uk
Interdisciplinary Centre of the Social Sciences (ICOSS)

Full contact details

Dr Sabrina Burr
School of Psychology
Interdisciplinary Centre of the Social Sciences (ICOSS)
219 Portobello
Sheffield
S1 4DP
Profile

I am a cognitive scientist, and I am part of the Sheffield Cognitive Development Research Group. My research focuses on cognitive development, both from a neural and behavioural perspective. Predominantly, I am interested in children’s numerical and mathematical cognition and the factors that influence mathematics achievement.

I completed my BA(Hons) in Psychology at Western University (London, Ontario, Canada), my MSc and EdS in Counselling and Human Systems at The Florida State University (Tallahassee, Florida, USA) and my PhD in Cognitive Science at Carleton University (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada). My doctoral dissertation investigated the developmental trajectories of ADHD symptoms, anxiety and depression symptoms, academic achievement, and school performance for adolescents with and without ADHD who did and did not enrol in postsecondary studies (i.e., college or university). After graduating, I was a postdoctoral research and teaching fellow at The University of British Columbia (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada). During my postdoctoral fellowship, I used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to investigate the development of large-scale neural networks responsible for key cognitive processes during the first two years of life.

Qualifications

PhD Cognitive Science (Carleton University, Canada)
EdS Counselling and Human Systems (Florida State University, USA)
MSc Counselling and Human Systems (Florida State University, USA)
BA Psychology (Western University, Canada)

Research interests

I am interested in factors that contribute to mathematics learning and influence early development, including cognitive processes, language, input from the home environment, formal instruction, emotions, available resources, and neurodevelopmental disorders. In my research, I use a variety of methods (e.g., behavioural paradigms, eye-tracking, fNIRS) and statistical techniques (e.g., Bayesian analyses, structural equation modelling) to investigate the extent to which these factors impact learning and achievement.

I am also interested in intervention work, with a focus on computer tutors to help children with complex mathematical subjects, such as fractions.

I am part of the Sheffield Cognitive Development Group, where we conduct infant and child development studies with families and local schools. To find out more about our lab group, please visit the .

Publications

Journal articles

  • Xu C, Di Lonardo Burr S, Rodgers LJ, Wylie J, Si J, Huang B, Guo K & Li H (2025) . Journal of Educational Psychology.
  • Xu C, Di Lonardo Burr S, McNally-Edwards N, McShane C, Wan L & Wylie J (2024) . Journal of Cognitive Psychology.
  • Susperreguy MI, Di Lonardo Burr SM, Xu C, Douglas HP, Bourque T, del Río MF, Salinas V & LeFevre J-A (2024) . Cognitive Development, 70.
  • Xu C, Di Lonardo Burr S, Li H, Liu C & Si J (2024) . Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 242.
  • Burr SM, Pirazzoli L, Dopierala AW, Bejjanki VR, Nelson CA, Emberson LL & The Gates Foundation fNIRS Consortium (2024) . Journal of Experimental Psychology. General, 153(3), 798-813.
  • Xu C, Li H, Di Lonardo Burr S, Si J, LeFevre J-A & Zhuo X (2024) . Journal of Cognition and Development, 25(1), 46-65.
  • Xu C, Di Lonardo Burr S & LeFevre J-A (2023) . Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology / Revue canadienne de psychologie expérimentale, 77(4), 284-295.
  • Xu C, LeFevre J-A, Di Lonardo Burr S, Maloney EA, Wylie J, Simms V, Skwarchuk S-L & Osana HP (2023) . Journal of Numerical Cognition, 9(2), 253-267.
  • Xu C, Di Lonardo Burr S, LeFevre J-A, Skwarchuk S-L, Osana HP, Maloney EA, Wylie J, Simms V, Susperreguy MI, Douglas H & Lafay A (2023) . Cognitive Development, 67.
  • Burr SM, LeFevre J-A, Arnold LE, Epstein JN, Hinshaw SP, Molina BSG, Hechtman L, Hoza B, Jensen PS, Vitiello B , Pelham WE et al (2022) . Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 61(10), S37-S37.
  • Di Lonardo Burr SM, Xu C, Douglas H, LeFevre J-A & Susperreguy MI (2022) . Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 222.
  • Xu C, Di Lonardo Burr S, Skwarchuk S-L, Douglas H, Lafay A, Osana HP, Simms V, Wylie J, Maloney EA & LeFevre J-A (2022) . Journal of Educational Psychology, 114(6), 1321-1342.
  • Di Lonardo Burr SM, LeFevre J, Arnold LE, Epstein JN, Hinshaw SP, Molina BSG, Hechtman L, Hoza B, Jensen PS, Vitiello B , Pelham WE et al (2022) . Child Development, 93(5), e563-e580.
  • Di Lonardo Burr SM, Xu C, Li H, Si J, LeFevre J & Wang Y (2022) . British Journal of Educational Psychology, 92(4), 1335-1353.
  • Xu C, Li H, Di Lonardo Burr S, Si J, LeFevre J-A & Huang B (2022) . Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 217.
  • Susperreguy MI, Di Lonardo Burr S, Douglas H, Xu C, LeFevre J-A, del Río MF & Salinas V (2022) . Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 59, 84-95.
  • Xu C, Lafay A, Douglas H, Di Lonardo Burr S, LeFevre J-A, Osana HP, Skwarchuk S-L, Wylie J, Simms V & Maloney EA (2022) . Journal of Educational Psychology, 114(3), 513-539.
  • MacLeod B & Di Lonardo Burr SM (2022) . Journal of Phonetics, 92.
  • Di Lonardo Burr SM, Turner J, Nietmann J & LeFevre J-A (2021) . Journal of Numerical Cognition, 7(3), 259-274.
  • Retanal F, Johnston NB, Di Lonardo Burr SM, Storozuk A, DiStefano M & Maloney EA (2021) . Education Sciences, 11(10).
  • Di Lonardo Burr SM & LeFevre J-A (2021) . Cognition and Emotion, 35(7), 1334-1349.
  • Xu C, LeFevre J-A, Skwarchuk S-L, Di Lonardo Burr S, Lafay A, Wylie J, Osana HP, Douglas H, Maloney EA & Simms V (2021) . Developmental Psychology, 57(7), 1067-1079.
  • Song CS, Xu C, Maloney EA, Skwarchuk S-L, Di Lonardo Burr S, Lafay A, Wylie J, Osana HP, Douglas H & LeFevre J-A (2021) . Cognitive Development, 59.
  • Xu C, Burr SDL, Douglas H, Susperreguy MI & LeFevre J-A (2021) . Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 208.
  • Di Lonardo Burr S & LeFevre J-A (2021) . Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 74(3), 523-535.
  • Di Lonardo Burr SM, Douglas H, Vorobeva M & Muldner K (2020) . Journal of Numerical Cognition, 6(3), 355-377.
  • Silinskas G, Di Lonardo Burr S, Douglas H, Xu C, LeFevre J-A, Garckija R, Gabrialaviciute I & Raiziene S (2020) . Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 53, 484-495.
  • Susperreguy MI, Di Lonardo Burr S, Xu C, Douglas H & LeFevre J (2020) . Child Development, 91(5), 1663-1680.
  • Di Lonardo Burr SM & LeFevre J-A (2020) . Learning and Individual Differences, 77.
  • Di Lonardo Burr SM, Huebner MG, Newman K & LeFevre J-A (2020) . Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 73(2), 279-294.
  • Xu C, Di Lonardo Burr S, Yu S, LeFevre J-A, Li H, Si J, Wang Y & Wu S () . Developmental Psychology.
  • Lafay A, Adrien E, Di Lonardo Burr S, Douglas H, Provost-Larocque K, Xu C, LeFevre J-A, Maloney EA, Osana HP, Skwarchuk S-L & Wylie J () . Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 174702182311743-174702182311743.

Book chapters

  • Di Lonardo Burr SM, Xu C, Susperreguy MI, Skwarchuk S-L & LeFevre J-A (2025) , Literacy Studies (pp. 69-84). Springer Nature Switzerland
Research group

I am part of the .

Current PhD Students

  • Rosemary Wareham-O’Brien - How deaf infants learn to communicate during parent-infant interaction. Co-supervised by Prof. Danielle Matthews
Grants
  • Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) postdoctoral fellowship ($90,000 CAD)
  • Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) doctoral scholarship ($60,000 CAD)
Teaching activities

Undergraduate: 

  • PSY2004 (Developmental Psychology)
  • PSY2005 (Research Methods)
  • PSY331 (Extended Essay)
  • Personal tutor

Postgraduate: 

  • PSY6121 (Research Methods)
  • MSc Research Project

I also supervise PhD students.

PhD Opportunities

I am happy to receive applications for ¾Ã²Ý¸£Àû in my area of research.

We advertise PhD opportunities (Funded or Self-Funded) on 

For further information, please see the department PhD Opportunities page.