Find out if you have the Sherlock Factor by completing her Are You A Super-Matcher test which was developed to identify the rare individuals with the ability to match complex visual patterns - something that forensic scientists train for years to do.

Forensic science is at a turning point – many forensic disciplines lack evidence of their reliability and validity due to their non-scientific roots.

Despite how it is portrayed in the media, outside of nuclear DNA and chemical analysis, forensic science largely relies on human decision-makers who analyse forensic evidence with little input from computers or algorithms. This is why it is important to understand exactly what underpins the expertise of forensic scientists – how and how well they make decisions. 

My research investigates the psychological mechanisms behind how forensic scientists make decisions. How does a fingerprint examiner determine whether two fingerprints are from the same person or two different people? How does a firearms examiner decide whether two cartridge cases have been fired from the same gun or two different guns?

My research examines the psychology behind how forensic scientists make these decisions and how they reach their ultimate conclusions. This is particularly important because once we understand what makes forensic scientists good at this task, we can train new experts to use these techniques to improve their professional performance.