Mirella Atherton

Dr Mirella Atherton is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Law and Justice, University of Newcastle (Australia), within the College of Human and Social Futures. She specializes in Banking and Finance Law, focusing on consumer protection, financial technology, and vulnerable populations. Mirella holds a PhD from the University of Newcastle and has contributed to interdisciplinary research in education and legal policy.

Her research addresses critical issues such as privacy of financial data, gambling with credit, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) regulations, cryptocurrency fraud, and elder financial abuse. She leads projects on avatar-based educational tools to improve legal training and co-supervises a PhD on disaster risk reduction in the Pacific region. Mirella has secured over $323,542 in grants, including a 2025 award for education research and a 2022 grant on complaints handling.

Key achievements include the 2025 Outstanding Achievement Award and 2017 Best Research Paper. She has served on committees like the ELFSC Research Committee and Human Research Ethics Committee. Mirella’s work bridges law, technology, and ethics, with publications in journals like Law Ethics and Technology and Liverpool Law Review.

Her advocacy for vulnerable consumers and innovative approaches to legal education reflect a commitment to social justice and regulatory reform. Current projects include studies on digital scams targeting seniors and emerging financial crimes in the digital era.