Amber Phillips

Dr. Amber Phillips is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology at the Department of Health and Social Sciences, Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences, University of the West of England (UWE) Bristol. Her research and teaching focus on organised crime, economic crime, and transnational criminal networks, particularly mafia-type groups and asset recovery.

Research Interests: Her work explores the social reuse of confiscated mafia assets in Italy and the challenges in financial crime investigations. She is currently researching asset recovery in England and Wales, supported by a Vice-Chancellor's Early Career Researcher Award. Her expertise spans economic crime, transnational crime, and crime-media dynamics.

Collaborations and Memberships:

• Member, ECPR Standing Group on Organised Crime
• Member, RUSI Strategic Hub for Organised Crime
• Editorial Board Member, Journal of Economic Criminology
• Expert Reviewer, European Commission and Independent Social Research Foundation

Teaching and Recognition:

• Leads modules: Transnational Crime and Comparative Criminology, Organised Crime, and Crime, Media and Culture
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• Nominated and shortlisted for UWE Outstanding Teacher Award
• Mentor, WHEN 100 Black Women Professors NOW programme

Grants and Projects:

• 2024-2026: Vice-Chancellor's Early Career Researcher Award (£25,000) – 'Beyond the figures: exploring success measures in asset recovery'
• 2021-2022: Higher Education Innovation Fund grant (£5,000) with Dr. Mary Young – 'Exploring the resilience of transnational organized crime in the pandemic and post-pandemic world'

Labs and Research Groups: Actively involved in collaborative research with law enforcement and academic partners; contributes to policy-oriented criminological research through UWE Bristol.