Carina now works as a lecturer at the University of Essex. For more information about her research and recent publications please visit her webpage at: https://www.essex.ac.uk/people/dekle39601/carina-de-klerk.
Email: c.deklerk@essex.ac.uk.
Research interests
I am interested in the (a)typical development of social cognition, action understanding and imitation and the brain mechanisms that underlie these abilities. With my current postdoctoral research I am investigating the development of facial mimicry in infancy using EMG and fNIRS. With my PhD research I investigated how action experience influences the strength of perceptual-motor couplings in the infant brain and the role these couplings play in the infant's ability to predict other people's actions.
During my two-year research masters at Leiden University I did a research internship at the CBCD under supervision of Dr. Teodora Gliga. With my master thesis project I investigated the face processing abilities of toddlers with an older sibling with ASD.
Curriculum vitae
2010-2014 PhD Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London
2008-2010 MSc. in Developmental Psychology (research) at Leiden University, cum laude
Master thesis: “A prospective study on face processing in children at increased familial risk for autism spectrum disorder”
2005-2008 BSc. in Psychology at Leiden University, cum laude
Publications
de Klerk, C.C.J.M., Johnson, M.H., & Southgate, V. (2015). An EEG study on the somatotopic organisation of sensorimotor cortex activation during action execution and observation in infancy. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 15, 1-10.
de Klerk, C.C.J.M., Johnson, M.H., Heyes, C.M., & Southgate, V. (2015). Baby Steps: investigating the development of perceptual-motor couplings in infancy, Developmental Science, 18, 270-280.
de Klerk, C. C. J. M., Gliga, T., Charman, T., Johnson, M.H., & the BASIS team (2014). Face engagement during infancy predicts later face recognition ability in younger siblings of children with autism, Developmental Science, 17, 596-611.
Presentations
Talks
de Klerk, C.C.J.M., Johnson, M.H., Heyes, C.M., & Southgate, V. (March, 2015). The role of visuomotor contingency in the development of perceptual-motor couplings in infancy. Talk presented at the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Biennial Meeting, Philadelphia, USA.
de Klerk, C.C.J.M., Southgate, V., & Csibra, G. (January, 2014). Action prediction without motor experience in 8-month-old infants. Talk presented at the Budapest CEU Conference on Cognitive Development (BCCCD), Hungary.
de Klerk, C.C.J.M., Csibra, G., & Southgate, V. (September 2013). Visual experience facilitates action prediction in 7-9-month-old infants. Talk presented at the joint annual conference of the British Psychological Society Cognitive and Developmental Sections, Reading, England.
de Klerk, C.C.J.M., Johnson, M.H., & Southgate, V. (September, 2013). Motor activation during action observation: the effects of visual, motor, and visuomotor experience. Talk presented at the joint annual conference of the British Psychological Society Cognitive and Developmental Sections, Reading, England.
Posters
de Klerk, C.C.J.M., Southgate, V., & Csibra, G. (March, 2015). Action prediction without motor experience in 8-month-old infants: evidence from looking time and electrophysiological measures. Poster presented at the Cognitive Neuroscience Society Annual Meeting, San Francisco, USA.
de Klerk, C.C.J.M., Johnson, M.H., & Southgate, V. (January, 2013). Motor activation during the observation of a novel action: the effects of visual, motor and visuomotor experience. Poster presented at the Budapest CEU Conference on Cognitive Development (BCCCD), Hungary.
de Klerk, C.C.J.M., Johnson, M.H., & Southgate, V. (June, 2012). Somatotopic organisation of sensorimotor cortex activation during the execution and observation of arm and leg movements in 12-month-old infants. Poster presented at the XVIII Biennial International Conference on Infant Studies (ICIS), Minneapolis, USA.
de Klerk, C.C.J.M., Johnson, M.H., & Southgate, V. (June, 2012). Crossing the divide: How does the infant brain solve the correspondence problem? Poster presented at the CEU summerschool 'Problems of the Self', Budapest, Hungary.
de Klerk, C. C. J. M., Johnson, M. H., & Southgate, V. (January, 2012). Somatotopic organisation of sensorimotor cortex activation during the execution of arm and leg movements in 12-month-old infants. Poster presented at the Budapest CEU Conference on Cognitive Development (BCCCD), Hungary.
de Klerk, C. C. J. M., Gliga, T., Elsabbagh, M., & the BASIS team (March, 2011). A prospective study on face processing in children at risk for ASD. Poster presented at the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Biennial Meeting, Montreal, Canada.
de Klerk, C. C. J. M., Stevenson, C. & Resing, W.C.M. (July, 2008). A comparison of training elements in a learning potential test with figural analogies for 5-6 year-old children. Poster presented at the 30th International School Psychology Association Conference, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Grants and scholarships
Travel grant, Guarantors of Brain, awarded to attend SRCD in Philadelphia and CNS in San Francisco in March 2015
Postdoctoral fellow award, Cognitive Neuroscience Society, awarded to attend CNS in San Francisco in March 2015
Marie Curie fellowship, European Commission
- My PhD research and training was funded by this fellowship between May 2011 and May 2014.
Grants obtained to cover tuition and living costs during the first 7 months of my PhD:
- Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds (Dutch foundation)
- Dr. Hendrik Muller Vaderlandsch Fonds (Dutch charitable foundation)
- Birkbeck College Fee Waiver
Small grants obtained to cover travel and living costs during my research internship:
- Leids Universiteits Fonds, Leiden University
- Outbound Study Grant, Leiden University
- Erasmus Grant
- Hersenstichting (Dutch Brain Foundation)
- Curatorenfonds, Leiden University
Teaching
Lecturer, January 2019 - present
University of Essex
Teaching assistant, October 2014 - March 2015
Research Methods, Anna Freud Centre/University College London, UK
Guest lecturer, February 2015
Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, UK
Guest lecturer, January 2015
Contemporary Psychological Research, Birkbeck College, University of London, UK
Demonstrator, January - April 2011
Research Methods II, Birkbeck College, University of London, UK
Teaching assistant, October - December 2008
Child psycho-diagnostics, Leiden University, the Netherlands