Dr Camilla Elphick

Professional biography

Qualifications

PhD in Applied Cognitive Psychology (The University of Sussex in 2018, supervised by Graham Hole). The research used pupil size (pupillometry) to measure face recognition as ‘eyewitnesses’ looked at potential ‘suspects’ in lineups. This led us to believe that pupillometry could potentially be added to current police lineup procedures, to measure recognition as eyewitnesses make identification decisions. 

BSc (Hons, First Class) in Psychology (The Open University)

Affiliations

Associate Fellow of the HEA (2016)

Co-Director of the Harm and Evidence Collaborative (HERC)

Former Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) representative for the Centre of Policing Research and Learning (CPRL)

Forensic Cognition Research Group (FCRG)

Research interests

My research interests lie mainly in the application of cognitive psychology to make positive changes to 'real world' issues.

I am particularly interested finding ways to minimise issues with eyewitness memory and identification accuracy, that stem from my PhD research. In this capactity, I have secured funding to build pilot technology that aims to measure memory strength as eyewitnesses view images of possible suspects, with colleagues from the University of Sussex, and Schools of Psychology and Counselling and of Computing and Communications at the Open University.

I worked on a citizen forensics project with colleages from the School of Psychology and Counselling and the School of Computing and Communications at the Open University. This aimed to improve communications between citizens and institutions (e.g. police). In this capacity, I conducted research to inform the design and development of future policing technologies, specifically policing apps and waskey to the conception and development of an online Gratitude Tree.

For a start-up company, I worked on the development of an AI reporting tool called Spot, which used natural language processing (NLP) to help people to document and report workplace harassment. In this capacity, I applied psychological understanding of memory to the documenting of sound evidence. Witnessing workplace harassment and discrimination: Overcoming the ‘social contagion’ of toxic work culture

I am involved in a project exploring the psychological aspects of Wiedemann Steiner Syndrome (WSS). This was genetically idenitified in 2012, so there has been no published psychological research to date. For this work, I set up the WSS Psychology Research Group, which is focusing on the behavioural phenotype, social vulnerability, and expereinces of diagnosis. In this capacity, I have one paper under review: Yuill, N., Marshall, J., and Waite, J., Jones, W., and Elphick, C. E. Social Behavioral Profiles and Relationships in Wiedemann-Steiner Syndrome: Parent Reports on 25 Cases. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities. 

Teaching interests

I am a Lecturer in Psychology at the Open University, where I have been involved in the production of BPS accredited modules:

• D120: Encountering psychology in context (Level 1 undergraduate)
  • ​Author of Chapter 6 of Book 1, Altruism and cooperation, and accompanying online chapter
  • Author of online methods chapters: 
    • Designing research to answer questions (Week 11)
    • Analysing categorical data and writing a research report (Week 17)
    • Methods review (Week 23)
• DE100: Investigating Psychology (Level 1 undergraduate)
• DD210: Living psychology: from the everyday to the extraordinary (Level 2 undergraduate)
  • ​Author of online chapters:
    • ​Living online (Week 14)
    • Humans in Nature (Week 22)
• D810: Critically exploring psychology (MSc in Psychology conversion)

I am currently chairing the production of a Level 2 module (D250).

I have also led the production of a fee OpenLearn course Open Research for Researchers.

I was also Co-Chair of the presentation of DD802: Investigating Forensic Psychology (MSc in Forensic Psychological Studies)

Impact and engagement

I made a written submission to the Women and Equalities Committee Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in the Workplace (2018) and the Independent advisory group on emerging technologies in policing: call for evidence (2021).

I was also involved in policy work by Graham Hole and Gemma Briggs, which addresses the dangers of driving while talking on hands-free mobile phones (2018): Think talking on your hands-free while driving is safe? Think again and Tackling the dangers of using hands-free mobiles while driving.

I am involved in the development of Guidelines for the management of Wiedermann-Steiner syndrome.

External collaborations

I was employed as an academic advisor for the Bad People podcast, available on BBC Sounds. In this capacity, I was interviewed for an episode on witnessing sexual harassment Hollywood Predator: Would you keep an open secret?​ and wrote a supporting article Weinstein: Why so many witnesses of sexual harassment stay silent.

I am involved in a project exploring the psychological aspects of Wiedemann Steiner Syndrome (WSS). This was genetically idenitified in 2012, so there has been no published psychological research to date. For this work, I set up the WSS Psychology Research Group and co-supervised a research student with Nicola Yuill from the University of Sussex. I also organised symposia and expert panels for conferences organised by the WSS Foundation, and have formed collaborations with Wendy Jones from Great Ormond Street Hospital and Jane Waite from Aston University for ongoing research projects.

International links

The Wiedermann-Steiner Syndrome (WSS) Foundation aims to provide education, foster community, and stimulate research to improve the lives of everyone impacted by WSS. The WSS Psychology Research Group works regularly with the Foundation to share our seminal research into the psychological aspects of WSS.