I joined the University of Brighton in October 2021 where I am a Senior Lecturer in Criminology with the School of Business and Law. I originally studied Psychology at Queen’s University Belfast, before moving to England to complete an MSc in Criminology at the University of Leicester. A funded scholarship to study for my PhD in Criminology meant I stayed on at the University of Leicester (and in England). Not long after completing my Doctorate, I secured a role in the Civil Service as a Government Social Researcher where I worked for different Government Departments, such as the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Home Office/Ministry of Justice, and the Crown Prosecution Service. I returned to academia in 2013 initially with the University of Brighton (2013 to 2015) and then London South Bank University (2015 to 2021).

My main research interests related to gender-based violence, especially violence against women and girls, with a particular focus on domestic violence and abuse, sexual violence, and so-called ‘honour’ crime. I am interested in community and state responses to such violence, especially in relation to the police and the criminalisation of victim-survivors, as well as the evaluation of initiatives designed to address violence against women and girls.

I have been a principal or co-investigator on research projects worth £500,000 from funders including the Thames Valley Police, Home Office, and College of Policing. I am currently co-investigator on a Nuffield Foundation/British Academy funded project which explores Transformative Justice as a tool to support women with convictions in the community.

My commitment to addressing gender-based violence extends beyond her professional and academic life. Since 2015, I have volunteered for a local domestic abuse charity, R.I.S.E, and, in 2022, I  joined the organisation as a Trustee.

I will be delighted to supervise PhD students interested in gender-based violence, especially where it involves violence against women and girls (in particular domestic violence and abuse, sexual violence, and so-called 'honour' crime), the criminal justice response to such violence, and the impact on survivor-victim journeys. Linked to this, I also welcome PhD students with an interest in justice-involved individuals, particularly women and their families.