Professor Debbie Mills

Emeritus Professor

d.l.mills@bangor.ac.uk

Professor Debbie Mills

Prof Mills' is interested in the effects of experience on brain plasticity and cognition across the lifespan. Current projects include the effects of bilingualism and lifestyle factors on executive functions in a) children from 1 to 4 years of age, and b) adults over age 65.  In another line of research she studies links across genes, brain, and social cognition in neurodevelopmental disorders such as Williams Syndrome. Her research uses a combined behavioural and brain imaging (EEG/fMRI) approach to examine the neurobiology of language and cognitive development.

Director for Research at Tir na n'Og Child Development Centre and Nursery

Phone: +44(0)1248 388572
·¡³¾²¹¾±±ô:Ìýd.l.mills@bangor.ac.uk

Room 130, Brigantia Building

Penrallt Road, School of Psychology
Â鶹Íø, Gwynedd, LL57 2AS

Professor Debbie Mills is a member of the Cognitive Neuroscience Research Institute

  • BA: Psychology
    University of California, Los Angeles,
  • PhD: Psychology
    University of California, San Diego,
  • MA: Educational Psychology
    University of California, Santa Barbara,

Professor Mills is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

She is currently Module Organiser for the MSc module Biological Bases of Neurodevelopmental Disorders and teaches on the MSc Research Methods in Bilingualism module and UG module on Langauge and its Disorders. 

In previous years she was Module Organiser for Methods in Event-related Potentials, and undergraduate modules in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience and Infancy.

Professor Mills regularly supervises research students at the undergraduate, masters, and doctoral levels.

Current PhD research students include:  Caitlin O'Riordan

Brain and language development, Williams syndrome, interactions between genes, brain, and behaviour

Professor Debbie Mills is a member of the Cognitive Development Research Institute

I am currently accepting applications for PhD, MPhil, and MRes students for projects on 1) Neurobiology of the effects of experiential factors, such as bilingualism, on executive functions in older adults, and 2) Bilingual vocabulary development and speech perception. Students with self- or external funding are welome. I am also interested in PhD researchers applying forESRC Wales DTP studentships in Bilingualism or Psychology.

2025

  • Published
    Matthews, J., Marí-Beffa, P., Mills, D. & Sapir, A., 29 Mar 2025.
    Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster › peer-review
  • Accepted/In press
    Mills, D., Dai, L. & Korenberg, J. R., 1 Jan 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Scientific Reports.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2024

  • Published
    Matthews, J., Mills, D. & Sapir, A., 25 Aug 2024.
    Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster › peer-review
  • Accepted/In press
    Gamarra Burga, E., Tenbrink, T. & Mills, D., 8 Mar 2024, (Accepted/In press) Spatial Cognition Conference Proceedings 2024. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science).
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

2023

  • Published
    Matthews, J., Earnshaw, L., Mills, D. & Sapir, A., 27 Aug 2023.
    Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster › peer-review

2021

  • Published
    Junge, C., Boumeester, M., Mills, D. L., Paul, M. & Cosper, S. H., 30 Jun 2021, In: Frontiers in Psychology: Language Sciences. 12, 24 p., 689534.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

2018

  • Published
    O'Riordan, C.-E., Mills, D., Neofytou, E. & Roch, N., 21 Sept 2018.
    Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster
  • Published
    Floccia, C., Sambrook, T., Delle Luche, C., Kwok, R., Goslin, J., White, L., Cattani, A., Sullivan, E., Gervain, J., Abbott-Smith, K., Krott, A., Mills, D., Rowland, C. & Plunkett, K., Mar 2018, In: Monographs for the Society for Research in Child Development. 83, 1, p. 1-135
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2017

  • Published
    Shore, D., Ng, R., Bellugi, U. & Mills, D., Oct 2017, In: Cognitive, Affective and Behavioural Neuroscience. 17, 5, p. 1002-1017 16 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2016

  • Published
    Dai, L., Jarvinen-Pasley, A., Bellugi, U., Mills, D., Brown, T., Halgren, E., Pober, B. & Korenberg, J. R., 8 Sept 2016, Epstein's Inborn Errors of Development: : The Molecular Basis of Clinical Disorders of Morphogenesis. Erickson, R. P. & Wynshaw-Boris, A. J. (eds.). Third ed. Oxford University Press, (Oxford Monographs on Medical Genetics).
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

2014

  • Published
    Hoeft, F., Dai, L., Hass, B. W., Sheau, K., Mimura, M., Mills, D. L., Galaburda, A., Bellugi, U., Korenberg, J. R. & Reiss, A. L., 8 Aug 2014, In: PLoS ONE. 9, 8, p. e104088
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2013

  • Published
    Mills, D. L., Dai, L., Fishman, I., Yam, A., Appelbaum, L. G., St. George, M., Galaburda, A., Bellugi, U. & Korenberg, J. R., 12 Nov 2013, In: Developmental Neuropsychology. 38, 8, p. 613-642
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Dick, F., Loyd-Fox, S., Blasi, A., Elwell, C. & Mills, D., 1 Dec 2013, Handbook of Educational Neuroscience. Mareschal, D., Butterworth, B. & Tolmie, A. (eds.). Wiley-Blackwell, p. 13-45
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

2012

  • Published
    Mani, N., Mills, D. L. & Plunkett, K., 1 Jan 2012, In: Developmental Science. 15, 1, p. 2-11
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2011

  • Published
    Fishman, I., Yam, A., Bellugi, U., Lincoln, A. & Mills, D. L., 1 Oct 2011, In: Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. 6, 5, p. 630-638
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Fishman, I., Yam, A., Bellugi, U. & Mills, D. L., 1 Sept 2011, In: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders. 3, 3, p. 185-192
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2010

  • Published
    Jarvinen-Pasley, A., Adolphs, R., Yam, A., Hill, K. J., Grichanik, M., Reilly, J., Mills, D. L., Reiss, A. L., Korenberg, J. R. & Bellugi, U., 1 Jun 2010, In: Neuropsychologia. 48, 7, p. 2110-2119
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Mimura, M., Hoeft, F., Kato, M., Kobayashi, N., Sheau, K., Piggot, J., Mills, D. L., Galaburda, A., Korenberg, J. R., Bellugi, U. & Reiss, A. L., 26 Jan 2010, In: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders. 2, 2, p. 93-98
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Jarvinen-Pasley, A., Pollak, S. D., Yam, A., Hill, K. J., Grichanik, M., Mills, D. L., Reiss, A. L., Korenberg, J. R. & Bellugi, U., 1 Mar 2010, In: Neuropsychologia. 48, 4, p. 1047-1052
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Jarvinen-Pasley, A., Vines, B. W., Hill, K., Yam, A., Grichanik, M., Mills, D. L., Reiss, A., Korenberg, J. R. & Bellugi, U., 1 Jan 2010, In: Neuropsychologia. 48, 2, p. 456-466
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Haas, B., Hoeft, F., Searcy, Y., Mills, D. L., Bellugi, U. & Reiss, A., 1 Apr 2010, In: Neuropsychologia. 48, 5, p. 1283-1288
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Gao, M. C., Bellugi, U., Dai, L., Mills, D., Sobel, E. M., Lange, K. & korenberg, J. R., 2010, In: PLoS ONE. 5, 4, 8 p., e10292.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Golarai, G., Hong, S., Haas, B., Galaburda, A., Mills, D. L., Bellugi, U., Grill-Spector, K. & Reiss, A., 12 May 2010, In: Journal of Neuroscience. 30, 19, p. 6700-6712
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2009

  • Published
    Mills, D. L., Conboy, B., De Haan, M. (Editor) & Gunnar, M. R. (Editor), 1 Jan 2009, Handbook of social development neuroscience. 2009 ed. Guildford Press, p. 175-207
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • Published
    Hass, B., Mills, D. L., Yam, A., Hoeft, F., Bellugi, U. & Reiss, A., 28 Jan 2009, In: Journal of Neuroscience. 29, 4, p. 1132-1139
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Dai, L., Bellugi, U., Chen, X. N., Pulst-Korenberg, A. M., Jarvinen-Pasley, A., Tirosh-Wagner, T., Eis, P. S., Graham, J., Mills, D. L., Searcy, Y. & Korenberg, J. R., 1 Mar 2009, In: American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A. 149A, 3, p. 302-314
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Collette, J. C., Chen, X.-N., Mills, D., Galaburda, A., Reiss, A., Bellugi, U. & Korenberg, J. R., 2009, In: Journal of Human Genetics. 54, 4, p. 193-198 6 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2008

  • Published
    Gothelf, D., Searcy, Y. M., Reilly, J., Lai, P. T., Lanre-Amos, T., Mills, D. L., Korenberg, J. R., Galaburda, A., Bellugi, U. & Reiss, A. L., 1 Nov 2008, In: American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A. 146A, 21, p. 2753-2761
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Jarvinen-Pasley, A., Bellugi, U., Reilly, J., Mills, D. L., Galaburda, A., Reiss, A. & Korenberg, J. R., 1 Dec 2008, In: Development and Psychopathology. 20, 1, p. 1-35
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Korenberg, J., Dai, L., Bellugi, U., Pasley, A., Mills, D. L., Galaburda, A., Reiss, A., Pober, B., Epstein, C. J. (Editor), Erickson, R. P. (Editor) & Wynshaw-Boris, A. (Editor), 1 Jan 2008, Inborn errors of development. 2008 ed. Oxford University Press, p. 1544-1555
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

2007

  • Published
    Chiang, M.-C., Reiss, A., Lee, A. D., Bellugi, U., Galaburda, A. M., Korenberg, J. R., Mills, D., Toga, A. W. & Thompson, P. M., 2007, In: Neuroimage. 36, 4, p. 1096-1109 16 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Sheehan, E. A., Namy, L. L. & Mills, D. L., 1 Jun 2007, In: Brain and Language. 101, 3, p. 246-259
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Mills, D. L., Sheehan, E. A., Coch, D. (Editor), Fischer, K. W. (Editor) & Dawson, G. (Editor), 1 Jan 2007, Human behavior, learning, and the developing brain: Typical development.. 2007 ed. The Guilford Press, p. 183-218
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • Published
    Mobbs, D., Eckert, M. A., Mills, D. L., Korenberg, J., Bellugi, U., Galaburda, A. M. & Reiss, A. L., 1 Aug 2007, In: Biological Psychiatry. 62, 3, p. 256-261
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Zangl, R. & Mills, D. L., 1 Jan 2007, In: Infancy. 11, 1, p. 31-62
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Hoeft, F., Barnea-Goraly, N., Haas, B. W., Golarai, G., Ng, D., Mills, D. L., Korenberg, J., Bellugi, U., Galaburda, A. & Reiss, A. L., 31 Oct 2007, In: Journal of Neuroscience. 27, 44, p. 11960-11965
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Mobbs, D., Eckert, M. A., Menon, V., Mills, D., Korenberg, J. R., Galaburda, A., Rose, F., Bellugi, U. & Reiss, A., 2007, In: Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology. 49, p. 433-438 6 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2006

  • Published
    Eckert, M. A., Galaburda, A. M., Karchmskiy, A., Liang, A., Thompson, P., Dutton, R. A., Lee, A. D., Bellugi, U., Korenberg, J. R., Mills, D. L., Rose, F. E. & Reiss, A. L., 15 Oct 2006, In: Neuroimage. 33, 1, p. 39-45
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Aydelott, J., Dick, F. & Mills, D. L., 1 Sept 2006, In: Psychophysiology. 43, 5, p. 454-464
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Gaser, C., Luders, E., Thompson, P. M., Lee, A. D., Dutton, R. A., Geaga, J. A., Hayashi, K. M., Bellugi, U., Galaburda, A., Korenberg, J., Mills, D. L., Toga, A. W. & Reiss, A. L., 15 Oct 2006, In: Neuroimage. 33, 1, p. 46-54
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Karmiloff-Smith, A., Mills, D. L. & Brown, K. (Editor), 1 Jan 2006, Encyclopedia of language and linguistics: Second edition, Volume 13, Language acquisition. 2006 ed. Elsevier, p. 585-589
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • Published
    Eckert, M. A., Galaburda, A. M., Mills, D. L., Bellugi, U., Korenberg, J. R. & Reiss, A. L., 1 Aug 2006, In: Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences. 63, 16, p. 1867-1875
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Eckert, M. A., Tenforde, A., Galaburda, A. M., Bellugi, U., Korenberg, J. R., Mills, D. L. & Reiss, A. L., 1 Sept 2006, In: Neuroimage. 32, 3, p. 1001-1007
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Conboy, B. T. & Mills, D. L., 1 Jan 2006, In: Developmental Science. 9, 1, p. F1-F12
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2005

  • Published
    Thompson, P. M., Lee, A. D., Dutton, R. A., Geaga, J. A., Hayashi, K. M., Eckert, M. A., Bellugi, U., Galaburda, A. M., Korenberg, J. R., Mills, D. L., Toga, A. W. & Reiss, A. L., 20 Apr 2005, In: Journal of Neuroscience. 25, 16, p. 4146-4158
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Mills, D. L., Conboy, B., Paton, C. & Namy, L. (Editor), 1 Jan 2005, Symbol Use and Symbolic Representation: Developmental and Comparative Perspectives. 2005 ed. Psychology Press, p. 123-153
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • Published
    Eckert, M. A., Hu, D., Eleiz, S., Bellugi, U., Galaburda, A., Korenberg, J., Mills, D. L. & Reiss, A. L., 11 Jan 2005, In: Neurology. 64, 1, p. 152-153
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Holinger, D. P., Bellugi, U., Mills, D. L., Korenberg, J. R., Reiss, A. L., Sherman, G. F. & Galaburda, A. M., 10 Mar 2005, In: Brain Research. 1037, 1-2, p. 35-42
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Mills, D. L., Plunkett, K., Prat, C. & Schafer, G., 1 Jan 2005, In: Cognitive Development. 20, 1, p. 19-31
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2004

  • Published
    Mills, D. L., Prat, C., Stager, C., Zangl, R., Neville, H. & Werker, J., 1 Oct 2004, In: Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 16, 8, p. 1452-1464
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2003

  • Published
    Galaburda, A. M., Holinger, D., Mills, D. L., Reiss, A., Korenberg, J. R. & Bellugi, U., 20 Feb 2003, In: Revista de Neurologia. 38, Supplement 1, p. 132-137
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Korenberg, J., Bellugi, U., Salandanan, L. S., Mills, D. L., Reiss, A. L. & Cooper, D. (Editor), 1 Jan 2003, Nature Encyclopedia of the Human Genome. 2003 ed. Nature, p. 757-766
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

2001

  • Published
    St George, M., Mills, D. L., Weissenborn, J. (Editor) & Hoehle, B. (Editor), 1 Jan 2001, Language acquisition and language disorders. 2001 ed. John Benjamins Publishing, p. 247-259
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • Published
    Mills, D. L., Alvarez, T. D., St George, M., Appelbaum, L. G., Bellugi, U. & Neville, H., 1 Jan 2001, Journey from cognition to brain to gene: Perspectives from Williams syndrome. 2001 ed. MIT Press, p. 73-104
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

2000

  • Published
    Mills, D. L., Alvarez, T. D., St. George, M., Appelbaum, L. G., Neville, H. & Bellugi, U., 1 Mar 2000, In: Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 12, Supplement 1, p. 47-64
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    St. George, M., Mills, D. L. & Bellugi, U., 1 Jan 2000, In: Neuroimage. 11, 5, p. 357
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Marks, T. K., Mills, D. L., Makeig, S., Westerfield, M., Jung, T. P., Bellugi, U. & Sejnowski, T. J., 1 Jan 2000, p. 56-63.
    Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper

  • 01/10/2019 – 19/01/2022 (Finished)

  • 01/06/2018 – 01/08/2019 (Finished)

  • 01/08/2013 – 16/03/2018 (Finished)

  • 01/06/2010 – 01/08/2012 (Finished)