Ms Nicola Pitchford is the Associate Professor, Faculty of Science in the University Nottingham. Pitchford uses a unique combination of both cognitive neuropsychological and developmental approaches to address specific research issues, and study both children and adults that have either normal cognitive functioning or impaired processing associated with neurological dysfunction. The combination of these two approaches provides a powerful tool for investigating the functional neuroplasticity and developing functional organization of the brain. Her primary research interests are issues relating to, and models of, written language organization and processing, and the interaction between spoken language abilities and the development of literacy skills and how sensory information influences the development and functioning of cognitive systems, and in particular, the mapping between visual percepts and concepts.

Ms Pitchford is an author of numerous publications on the representation, establishment, and breakdown of cognitive systems, especially spoken and written language. She is also a co-founder of “Million Metre Swim” fundraising action in the benefit of University of Nottingham - Children's Brain Tumour Research.