Julia Irwin, Ph.D
Education
| Postdoctoral Research Fellow, National Institutes of Mental Health Training Grant in Neurobiological Disorder, Yale University Child Study Center, 1998-2001 |
| Ph.D., Child and Developmental Psychology, University of Connecticut, 1998 |
| Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, State University of New York, College at Oswego, 1990 |
Research Interests
My work assesses the perception and production of auditory and audiovisual speech in typical and atypical language development, including autism spectrum disorders. I use technologies such as EEG/ERP paired with eye-tracking to extend the understanding of the neurobiological, physiological, and cognitive processes that underpin speech, language and literacy development in young children.
Representative Publications
Irwin, J., Avery, T., Kleinman, D., & Landi, N. (2021). Audiovisual speech perception in children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities. DOI:10.1007/s10803-021-04916-x
Irwin, J., Avery, T., Kleinman, D., & Landi, N. (2019). Audiovisual speech perception in children with autism spectrum disorders. Proceedings from the International Congress on Acoustics.
Irwin, J., Avery, T., Brancazio, L., Turcios, J., Ryherd, K., & Landi, N. (2018). Electrophysiological indices of audiovisual speech perception: beyond the McGurk effect and speech in noise. Multisensory Research, 31(1-2), 39-56. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/22134808-00002580
Irwin, J., Avery, T. Turcios, J., Brancazio, L., Cook, B. & Landi, N. (2017). Electrophysiological indices of audiovisual speech perception in the broader autism phenotype. Brain Sciences. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci7060060
Turcios, J., Cook, B., Irwin, J. Rispoli, T. & Landi, N. (2017). A familiarization protocol facilitates participation of children with ASD in electrophysiological research. Journal of Visualized Experiments, 55941.
Irwin, J. & Turcios, J. (2017). Teaching and Learning Guide for: Audiovisual speech perception: An update and implications for clinical populations. Language and Linguistics Compass. DOI: 10.1111/Inc3.12237
Irwin, J., Brancazio, L. & Volpe, N. (2017). The Development of Gaze to a Speaking Face. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. DOI:.org/10.1121/1.4982727
Irwin, J. & DiBlasi, L. (2017). Audiovisual speech perception: A new approach and implications for clinical populations. Language and Linguistics Compass, 11(3), 77-91 DOI: 10.1111/lnc3.12237
Irwin, J. & Brancazio, L.. (2014). Seeing to hear? Patterns of gaze to speaking faces in children with autism spectrum disorders. Frontiers, Language Sciences. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00397.
Irwin, J., Preston, J.L, Brancazio, L., D’Angelo, M. & Turcios, J. (2014). Development of an Audiovisual Speech Perception App for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics. doi:10.3109/02699206.2014.966395.
Irwin, J. & Brancazio, L. (2014). Seeing to hear? Patterns of gaze to speaking faces in children with autism spectrum disorders. Frontiers, Language Sciences. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00397.
Mirman, D. Irwin, J. & Stephen, D. (2012) Eye Movement Dynamics and Cognitive Self Organization in Typical and Atypical Development. Cognitive Neurodynamics, 6, 61-73. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11571-011-9180-y
Irwin, J., Tornatore, L.A., Brancazio. L & Whalen, D.H. (2011). Can children with autism spectrum disorders “hear” a speaking face? Child Development, 82(5) 1397-1403. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2011.01619.x
Supported Grants
2018-2020 Principal Investigator, “Hearing Assessment in Response to Noise Screener (HeARS)”. Start Preliminary Proof of Concept Fund, Phase I and II. Awarded to Southern Connecticut State University.
2019-2020 Investigator, “Listening 2 Faces: Improving perception of speech in noise in children with communication disorders”. Small Business Innovation Research Award (SBIR), National Institutes of Health, Division of Deafness and Communication Disorders (NIDCD). Awarded to Smarty Ears, LLC.
2014-2021 Principal Investigator, “Neurobiological Signatures of Perception and Imitation in Children with ASD”. AREA Award, National Institutes of Health, Division of Deafness and Communication Disorders (NIDCD). Awarded to Southern Connecticut State University, subcontracts to Haskins Laboratories and the University of Connecticut. 2014-2017, renewed 2018-2021.
2011-2014 Principal Investigator, “Neurobiological Correlates of Audiovisual Speech Perception in Children with ASD”. National Institutes of Health, Division of Deafness and Communication Disorders (NIDCD). Awarded to Haskins Laboratories.
2012-2017 Investigator, “Nature of the Speech Code and Reading“ (Kenneth Pugh, PI), National Institutes of Health, Division of Child and Human Development (NICHD). Awarded to Haskins Laboratories.