Bina Bhardwa

Dr Bina Bhardwa is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (ICPR) within the School of Social Sciences at Birkbeck, University of London. Her work focuses on organized crime, fraud, drug markets, policing, and criminal justice policy. She holds a PhD in Sociology from Lancaster University (2014), an MA in Criminology & Criminal Justice from King's College London, and a BA in Sociology from Royal Holloway, University of London.

Her research explores intersections between legal/illicit drugs, digital technologies, and policing, with recent projects including a NIHR study on treatment needs for substance users and a Dawes Trust-funded study on online fraud. She lectures on fraud in criminal justice modules and has contributed to over a dozen publications on organized crime, drug markets, and policy.

Current projects include collaborations with The Police Foundation and Crest Advisory on tackling online fraud, and evaluations of drug treatment and out-of-court disposals for drug offenses. She has held continuous affiliation with ICPR since 2008, working on EU-funded safety technologies, language barriers in courts, and youth justice system disparities.

Her work emphasizes practical policy implications, blending empirical research with innovative approaches to crime reduction and justice system improvements.