Heather D. Flowe

Heather Flowe is Professor of Psychology at the University of Birmingham. Heather's primary research expertise is human memory. Her research focuses on developing evidence-based approaches for gathering reliable statements and testimony in criminal justice contexts. Much of this work involves investigating and prosecuting sexual and gender-based violence. She leads major international projects examining how legal and healthcare systems can better serve victims and survivors, including low-resource settings. Her work spans from evaluating post-rape care in East Africa to analysing excess mortality due to female genital mutilation across multiple countries, as well as developing new procedures for gathering reliable identification evidence and statements from victims and witnesses. Heather has also published extensively on alcohol's effects on memory, including in sexual assault cases and eyewitness testimony.

Heather regularly advises police forces and prosecution services, governments, and NGOs worldwide on evidence-based approaches to investigating violent crimes and gathering reliable memory evidence. She is Director of Global Engagement in Life and Environmental Sciences at Birmingham and serves on UKRI grant assessment panels. Her work developing memory-enhancing procedures has been integrated into legal systems globally, particularly benefiting sexual violence survivors and eyewitnesses in low-resource environments.