Claire Machan

Claire Machan is an internationally active senior consultant and researcher with a strong passion for applying psychological approaches to improve social, crime & justice issues.

She holds a BSc in Criminology and Psychology from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), a PgCert and Honours in Psychological Science from the Australian College of Applied Psychology (ACAP), and a Master of Forensic Mental Health from Griffith University. Claire is further upon completion of her PhD in Experimental (Legal) Psychology at University College London (UCL), where her research focuses on exploring and mitigating the influence of juvenile offender stereotypes on individual juror decision-making.

With over eight years of experience as an academic in applied psychology across two continents, Claire has contributed significantly to education and professional training. She spent five years as a Lecturer at Buckinghamshire New University, co-developing BPS validated undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Forensic Psychology, inclusive of leading modules on Offender Risk Assessment, Victimology, Police Psychology, Safeguarding, and Research Methodologies.

She has sat on university research ethics and programme committees across multiple UK Higher Education institutions, as well as delivered educational workshops and training sessions with professionals from Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), the Metropolitan Police Service (MET Police), Victim Support, military academies, and ex-offenders.

In addition to her academic and professional endeavours, Claire is actively involved in several voluntary initiatives internationally. She is an Expert Member of the International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) Juvenile Justice Committee, inclusive of the International Standards & Best Practices Subcommittees, and is a founding member of the International Working Group on Public Safety & People of Determination.

Her professional affiliations include membership in the European Association of Psychology and Law (EAPL), the British Psychological Society (BPS), the Australia Psychological Society (APS), and the Society for Judgment and Decision Making (SJDM).

Through these platforms, she continues to collaborate with international peers to advance research and practice in forensic psychology and criminal justice.

She frequently presents at high-level conferences (e.g., ICPA, EUROCRIM, and EAPL), sharing project and research findings on a variety of topics, such as correctional staff training, bias mitigation, and child-friendly justice practices. Claire is also a co-author of multiple international publications, including recent contributions to Justice Trends Magazine, Advancing Corrections and the Secure Communities Forum.

Claire is responsible for coordinating projects within the Rehabilitation, Reintegration and Community Portfolio, inclusive of the Risk Prevention & Criminogenic Intervention, and Social Inclusion & Re-entry, research units.