Professor Heather D. Flowe PhD

PhD in Experimental Psychology, University of California, San Diego

Professor Flowe joined the University of Birmingham in 2017, bringing with her a wealth of experience and a track record of excellence in research, teaching, and academic leadership. Her PhD from the University of California, San Diego was supported by a National Science Foundation postgraduate studentship award. 

After a postgraduate University of California Faculty Fellowship, Professor Flowe held positions at the University of Leicester as a Lecturer in Forensic Psychology and at Loughborough University as a Senior Lecturer and Deputy Associate Dean (Enterprise). In these roles, she made significant contributions to research impact, including leading the development of impact case studies for REF submissions. 

Professor Flowe's research has garnered widespread media attention, featuring in outlets such as the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, The Guardian, and the BBC. Her work directly influences policy and practice in evidence-based approaches used by police and prosecutors, with her guidance featured in Crown Prosecution Service documents and international guidelines from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

A mid-career British Academy Midcareer Fellow (2019-2020), Professor Flowe's recent work has focused on rape victim-survivor memory retrieval processes during police interviews. She serves on editorial boards for prestigious journals and is a member of the ESRC Grant Assessment Panel for Geography and Psychology (Panel A), and the UKRI Interdisciplinary Assessment panel. She reviews grant proposals for various national and international research councils. 

Professor Flowe is a member of the Editorial Board for Psychology Public Policy and Law, and Applied Cognitive Psychology, as well as Consulting Editor for Cognitive Research in the Public Interest.

Professor Flowe’s modules/courses are consistently rated very highly by students, and by peer evaluation. She holds a Distinguished Teaching award from the University of California San Diego Academic Senate. More than 55 of her MSc in Forensic and Legal Psychology students and 13 of her MSc Psychology Research Methods students have successfully completed. 

She has taught modules and supervised dozens of students on the Forensic Psychology Practice Doctorate course and on the MSc Psychology course. 

Professor Flowe has also served as sole convenor and assessor for several different undergraduate modules, including: Legal Psychology, Criminal Psychology, Criminology, Social Psychology, Introduction to Social Psychology, Introduction to Statistics, Introduction to Psychology, Introduction to Statistics, Research Methods, Advanced Data Analysis; Tests and Measurement; and Clinical Psychology. 

She was the Course Director for the MSc Assessment and Treatment of Sex Offenders from 2008-2012 and was appointed as the external examiner for the MSc in Forensic Psychology at the University of Gloucester from 2017-2021.

Professor Flowe supervises projects on episodic memory retrieval, particularly experimental research that can be applied to the context of the legal system. Past and present projects include:

• eyewitness identification
• forensic face matching
• face recognition
• remembering rape and other traumatic events
• investigative interviewing
• alcohol and other drugs on memory
• rape case adjudication
• prosecutorial decision making
• trauma interventions
• metacognition
• domestic violence interventions

Professor Flowe warmly welcomes inquiries from prospective PhD students and takes great pleasure in mentoring undergraduate and MSc students. Her commitment to student development is evident in her publication record, where nearly all her papers feature student co-authors. 

The lab is also a vibrant hub for students, postdoctoral researchers, visiting faculty, and other scholars. Recent visitors have come from diverse locations including Italy, Pakistan, Australia, Kenya, and the United States, contributing to a rich, international research environment. 

Students and researchers working with Professor Flowe will have access to state-of-the-art equipment for cutting-edge research. The lab is equipped with advanced technologies including: 

• Eye-tracking systems for precise gaze analysis
• Virtual Reality (VR) headsets for immersive experiments
• Police photocapture equipment for high-quality image acquisition
• 3D capture technology for detailed spatial analysis 

This array of modern tools enables innovative research across various fields, providing students with hands-on experience using equipment at the forefront of technological advancement.

Professor Flowe's research focuses on two main areas: 

• ID Parades and Lineups: Developing innovative criminal identification procedures, such as 3D interactive virtual reality lineups, to improve eyewitness identification accuracy and reliability. 
• Sexual Violence: Investigating memory retrieval strategies during police interviews and developing methods to preserve and protect rape survivors' memory evidence. This includes projects in the UK, US, and Australia, as well as in humanitarian contexts. 

Professor Flowe is the PI for the UKRI GCRF Rights for Time Network+ which investigates memory, trauma, and conflict via a temporal lens.

Please www.heatherflowe.com to download papers. 

Research Funding

Professor Flowe has attracted over £7.2 million ($9 million+) for her research. Current research projects are supported by the ESRC, AHRC, ARC, and the FCDO.

Training for legal practitioners

Professor Flowe provides expert training to legal practitioners worldwide on memory, alcohol and sexual violence, and eyewitness identification. Her evidence-based training programs have been delivered to a wide range of institutions and organizations, including:

• National District Attorney's College, United States
• Crown Prosecution Service Regional Managers, United Kingdom
• Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) Course, United Kingdom
• Australian Federal Police, Sydney, Australia
• Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Kenya
• New York State Identification Guidance (2010)
• Manhattan District Attorney's Office, New York 

Professor Flowe's training sessions cover critical topics such as:

• Memory processes in eyewitness testimony
• Effects of alcohol on victim and witness memory
• Best practices for conducting interviews with intoxicated complainants
• Improving eyewitness identification procedures
• Challenging rape myths and stereotypes in legal contexts 

These trainings aim to enhance the skills of legal practitioners in handling cases involving memory evidence, particularly in sexual violence cases and those involving alcohol intoxication. 

For inquiries about training sessions or workshops, please contact Professor Flowe. 

Recent Prizes and Awards

2024 'Edward Shaffer Award for Best Research Presentation' at the Society for Policing and Criminal Psychology

2023 Inaugural University Impact prize for 'Outstanding Impact in Practice Change', University of Birmingham

2023 Excellence in Doctoral Research Supervision, University of Birmingham (finalist)

2019 University of Birmingham "Light of Understanding" Public Engagement award, Co-I, with Dr Melissa Colloff (PI) and Danielle Hett for Are you a Good Eyewitness? exhibit at the Think Tank Museum, Birmingham