Rebecca Phythian

Dr Rebecca Phythian is a Reader in Policing at Edge Hill University's School of Law & Criminal Justice, holding a UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship focusing on international law enforcement information exchange. She completed her PhD in Applied Psychology (University of Liverpool) examining serious violent offenders' criminal histories. Previously, she worked at Lancashire Constabulary’s Evidence Based Policing Research Hub and held teaching roles at multiple universities. Her research focuses on policing strategies, information sharing, and officer wellbeing. She collaborates with police forces and organizations like RUSI's Strategic Hub for Organised Crime Research.

Education:

• PhD in Applied Psychology (University of Liverpool, 2016)
• MSc Investigative and Forensic Psychology (University of Liverpool, 2011)
• BSc Psychology (University of Liverpool, 2010)

Primary Research Areas:

• Law enforcement information exchange
• Evidence-based policing
• Police wellbeing frameworks
• Organized crime dynamics

Awards:

• UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship (2021–2025)
• Sir Joseph Rotblat Scholarship (PhD funding)

Key Contributions:

• Lead researcher on Police National Database information-sharing studies
• Co-developed wellbeing programs for police forces
• Active in multi-agency event security coordination (e.g., Eurovision 2023)

Labs/Teams:

Affiliated with Edge Hill's Centre for Social Responsibility and collaborates with RUSI's Organised Crime Research team.