Dr. Bethany Growns

I am a cognitive scientist at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. My research focuses on how forensic science practitioners make decisions and the cognitive mechanisms that underpin their expertise to understand how we can train and select forensic examiners to increase professional performance.

I work closely with the Evidence-Based Forensics Initiative in Australia, the Future of Forensic Science Initiative in the US, and the Evidence-Based Justice Lab in the UK in my research.

Career

Senior Lecturer | present | University of Canterbury, Aotearoa NZ

Lecturer | 2022-2024 | University of Canterbury, Aotearoa NZ

Postdoctoral Research Fellow| 2021-2022 | University of Exeter, UK

Postdoctoral Research Scholar | 2019-2021 | Arizona State University, US

Education

Ph.D. | 2019 | University of New South Wales

M.Psyc (Forensic) | 2019 | University of New South Wales

B. Psychology (Hons 1) | 2014 | University of New South Wales

Awards

College of Forensic Psychologists' Maconochie Prize | 2021 | Australia Psychological Society

Bryan Found Memorial Symposium Award | 2018 | Australia New Zealand Forensic Science Society

Best Oral Presentation | 2018 | Australian New Zealand and Forensic Science Society

Science Postgraduate Research Award | 2017 | UNSW Sydney