Dr Julie Gawrylowicz

Reader in Applied Cognitive Psychology

Faculty Faculty of Social and Applied Sciences

Department Department of Sociological and Psychological Sciences

Contact info

+44 (0)1382 30 8624

Biography

I am a lecturer in Psychology interested in memory in applied settings. My research concerns how our memory is working and what factors might negatively or positively impact our memory recall. I apply this knowledge to forensic settings, such as the reliability of eyewitnesses and police investigative interviews. Before I joined Abertay in August 2018, I worked as a lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian University, where I mainly taught on their MSc program Forensic Psychology. Before that I was a senior lecturer at London South Bank University. I completed my PhD in 2010 at Abertay University. My PhD project was funded by the Scottish Institute for Policing Research and examined facial composite construction by individuals with intellectual disabilities. After my PhD, I was a post-doctoral researcher at Royal Holloway University of London. I worked on a Leverhulme funded project investigating eyewitness memory recall in elderly mock-witnesses. My recent line of research explores how alcohol influences our memory and I discovered that alcohol can protect memory in certain situations.

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I am currently teaching on the following modules:

  • Introductory Psychology
  • Evidence-based thinking: Scientific approaches to studying human behaviour
  • Forensic Psychology

I am teaching and module leader of the elective module Criminal Minds.

In addition, I supervise several undergraduate project students and two PhD students.

Interests

My research interests lie in the area of applied memory. I am particularly interested in what factors impact our memory and how we can apply this knowledge to the forensic setting, such as interviewing witnesses and victims. I have examined how to best interview vulnerable mock-witnesses, such as individuals with intellectual disabilities, older adults, and children. I also study how drinking alcohol and alcohol-related expectancies may influence our memory reports and metacognition.

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More Information

Funding

Grants and Research Support
02/2017     Fully-funded PhD studentship, Glasgow Caledonian University (£45,000 + tuition fees)
01/2016     Early Appointment Award, London South Bank University (£3,000)
01/2016     Fee-Waiver PhD studentship, London South Bank University
07/2015     BA/Leverhulme Small Research Grant (PI) (project period 07/2015 - 06/2016, £9,659)
12/2014     The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (Co-I) (project period 01/2015 - 01/2016,        £12,511)
12/2014     Seed-Corn Funding LSBU (PI) (project period 01/2015 – 01/2016, £850)
07/2013     Research Strategy Fund RHUL (PI) (project period 08/2013 - 02/2014, £3,000)
05/2010     EPS Grindley Grant for Conference Attendance (£900)
05/2010     Roberts Conference Fund University of Abertay Dundee
08/2009     Polack Travelling Scholarship Fund
06/2009     PsyPAG International Conference Bursary
05/2009     Roberts Conference Fund University of Abertay Dundee
09/2007     SIPR PhD Studentship (£36,000 + tuition fees)

Esteem

I am a visiting fellow of the Centre for Addictive Behaviours Research at London South Bank University.

I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, which demonstrates a personal commitments to professionalism in learning and teaching in higher education. 

Ad-hoc Reviewer: Applied Cognitive Psychology and Psychology, Crime and Law

I am a member of the Scottish Institute for Policing Research Group and the Scottish Alcohol Research Network. 

Knowledge Exchange

National and International Conference and Seminar Presentations

1. Gawrylowicz, J., Ridley, A. M., Albery, I. P. Young, J., Barnoth, E. (07/2016). Alcohol protects memory against negative effects of misleading post-event information. International Conference on Memory, Budapest, Hungary (Talk and Chair of symposium)

2. Gawrylowicz, J., Memon, A., & Scoboria, A. (07/2014). The transfer effect of the Self-Administered Interview. 28th International Congress of Applied Psychology (ICAP), Paris, France (Talk)

3. Gawrylowicz, J., Memon, A., & Scoboria, A. (06/2013). Enhancing older adults’ eyewitness memory for present and future events with the Self-administered Interview. 10th Annual Conference of the Society of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (SARMAC X), Rotterdam, The Netherlands (Talk)

4. Gawrylowicz, J., Memon, A., & Scoboria, A. (05/2012). The transfer effect of the SAI. 5th Annual Conference of the International Investigative Interviewing Research Group (iIIRG), Toronto, Canada (Talk)

5. Gawrylowicz, J., Carson, D, & Gabbert, F. (06/2011). The suitability of EvoFIT for mild learning disabled witnesses. 4th Annual Conference of the International Investigative Interviewing Research Group (iIIRG), Dundee, Scotland (Poster)

6. Gawrylowicz, J., Carson, D., Gabbert, F., & Hancock, P. J. B. (06/2010). The suitability of EvoFIT for mild learning disabled witnesses. 20th Conference of the European Association of Psychology and Law (EAPL), Gothenburg, Sweden (Talk)

7. Gawrylowicz, J., Carson, D., Gabbert, F., Lindsay, W., & Hancock, P. J. B. (10/2009). The fitness of E-FIT with mild learning disabled witnesses. Research Student Conference, Abertay University, Dundee, Scotland (Talk & Short paper)

8. Gawrylowicz, J., Carson, D., Gabbert, F., Lindsay, W., & Hancock, P. J. B.  (09/2009). The construction of facial composites by mild learning disabled witnesses. 3rd SIPR Annual Conference, Dundee, Scotland (Poster)

9. Gawrylowicz, J., Carson, D., & Gabbert, F. (07/2009). The construction of facial composites by people with mLD. 8th Biennial Meeting of the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, Kyoto, Japan (Talk)

10. Gawrylowicz, J., Carson, D., Gabbert, F., Lindsay, W., Hancock, P. J. B.  (12/2008). The ability of witnesses with mLD to describe and recognize unknown faces. Seattle Club Conference, Newcastle, England (Talk)

11. Gawrylowicz, J., Carson, D., Gabbert, F., Lindsay, W., & Hancock, P. J. B. (10/ 2008). Eyewitnesses with mLD: Face recognition and description abilities. Scottish Institute for Policing Research Seminar: Obtaining evidence from vulnerable witnesses, Aberdeen, Scotland (Talk)

12. Gawrylowicz, J., Carson, D., Gabbert, F., Lindsay, W., & Hancock, P. J. B. (09/2008). Face recognition and description in people with mLD. 2nd SIPR Annual Conference and Annual Lecture, Edinburgh, Scotland (Poster)

13. Gawrylowicz, J., Bergis, N., Memon, A., Candel, I. (07/2008). Memory conformity for emotional events: Do we conform most for peripheral items? 18th Conference of the European Association of Psychology and Law (EAPL), Maastricht, The Netherlands (Poster)

Meet the rest of the team

Dr Christopher Watkins

Dr Christopher Watkins

Department of Sociological and Psychological Sciences | Senior Lecturer

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Dr Penny Woolnough

Dr Penny Woolnough

Department of Sociological and Psychological Sciences | Reader in Forensic and Investigative Psychology

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