Natalie Mestry

Natalie Mestry is a Lecturer in Psychology at Bournemouth University, specializing in cognitive research related to face processing and visual search. She holds a PhD in The Nature of Configural Processing (2013), an MSc in Research Methods in Psychology (2009), and a BSc (Hons) in Psychology (2008) from the University of Southampton. Her research contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals for Quality Education and Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions through applications in forensic psychology and security domains.

• BSc (Hons) in Psychology, University of Southampton (2008)
• MSc in Research Methods in Psychology, University of Southampton (2009)
• PhD in The Nature of Configural Processing, University of Southampton (2013)

Mestry's research focuses on visual cognition, particularly face processing and visual search mechanisms. Her work examines dual-target costs, individual differences in face recognition, and training methods for security personnel. Applications include criminal justice, airport security screening, crowd threat detection, and forensic identification. She utilizes eye-tracking technology and collaborates with institutions like CREST and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory.

Her recent publications and grants address: optimizing X-ray baggage screening time-on-task, enhancing crowd resilience to threats, improving face search training protocols, and analyzing the neural basis of configural face processing. She has also contributed to understanding super-recognizers and perceptual expertise in security contexts.

Mestry supervises research projects and contributes to undergraduate/graduate teaching, including the BSc Psychology with Forensic Investigation program. She engages in public outreach through science festivals, summer schools, and conference presentations at the Vision Sciences Society.