Amy Meenaghan

Dr. Amy Meenaghan is a Subject Area Lead and Lecturer at the University of Portsmouth, affiliated with the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and the Centre for Cybercrime and Economic Crime. She holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of Portsmouth, where she also earned her BSc (Hons) in Psychology and MSc in Forensic Psychology. Her research focuses on virtual reality applications in criminal decision-making, XR technology in education and criminological research, and cybercrime dynamics. She teaches on the BSc Criminology with Psychology course and has contributed to interdisciplinary projects in offender behavior analysis and emergency response strategies. Her work bridges experimental criminology with technological innovation, emphasizing the development of expertise in criminal activities and the use of immersive technologies for training and policy.

• Education:
  • BSc (Hons) Psychology, University of Portsmouth
  • MSc Forensic Psychology, University of Portsmouth
  • PhD Psychology, University of Portsmouth

Her research interests include virtual environments for studying criminal behavior, decision-making processes in critical incidents, and the application of extended reality (XR) in criminal justice education and training. She has co-authored studies on burglary specialization, emergency responders' challenges during terrorist attacks, and the integration of XR in probation and cybercrime prevention. Her work is published in journals like Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, Journal of Experimental Criminology, and Cognition, Technology, Work.

Dr. Meenaghan collaborates with institutions such as the Institute of Criminal Justice Studies and contributes to policy-relevant research on cybercrime. Her projects often involve cross-disciplinary teams and focus on practical applications of technology in criminal justice systems.