Heather Flowe

Heather Flowe

FIU courtesy faculty

Bio

Dr. Heather Flowe is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Birmingham, UK, and holds a courtesy appointment as Professor in Psychology at Florida International University. Her lab's research focuses on eyewitness memory, with particular emphasis on the effects of alcohol on memory in sexual assault cases and innovative lineup procedures to enhance eyewitness identification accuracy.

As an American researcher based in the UK, Dr. Flowe brings a unique international perspective to the study of psychology and law. Her work, often conducted with students and early career researchers, has significantly influenced policy and practice globally. She has consulted on the New York State Guidelines for Lineups, contributed to the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office Guidance on documenting and investigating sexual violence in conflict, and served as an expert for the UK Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology on eyewitness evidence and technology. Dr. Flowe's eyewitness memory research has been cited in the National Research Council's report on eyewitness identification, underscoring its significance in shaping policy and practice in the field.

Dr. Flowe's expertise is widely sought after by prestigious organizations. She has taught for the National District Attorney's College in the US and serves on research council panels for the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) in the UK. She regularly reviews for esteemed funding bodies, including the National Science Foundation, the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and the Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, as examples. Currently, she is engaged in several collaborative projects with police and healthcare providers, focusing on domestic abuse and sexual assault, further expanding the practical impact of her research.

A major focus of Dr. Flowe and her collaborators' recent work, funded by Arnold Ventures in the US as well as by the ESRC (UK), DFG (Germany) and SSHRC (Canada), is a groundbreaking interactive lineup procedure that improves identification accuracy by up to 40% compared to traditional lineup procedures and significantly reduces cross-race identification errors. This research has garnered attention from law enforcement agencies and policymakers alike.

Her lab’s research on alcohol and sexual assault memory has been featured in high-profile media outlets, including BBC Women's Hour, The Guardian, and Scientific American. Her work seeks to improve reliability of intoxicated victims' memory reports, providing crucial insights for law enforcement and legal professionals. This research has contributed to a better understanding of intoxicated victims' memory reports, leading to more informed approaches in law enforcement and legal practices.

She has over 80 peer-reviewed publications and more than 70 conference presentations, nearly all of which include student authors. Dr. Flowe has secured over $9.4 million in research funding from diverse sources, including the Economic and Social Research Council, the Arts and Humanities Research Council, and the British Academy. She serves on the editorial boards of Psychology, Public Policy and Law, Applied Cognitive Psychology, and Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications.

At the University of Birmingham, Dr. Flowe co-leads the Applied Memory Lab and is the Director of Global Engagement for Life and Environmental Sciences. Her work continues to bridge the gap between psychological research and real-world applications in the criminal justice system, both in the US and internationally.