Dr Heather Doran
Public Engagement Manager
Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science, School of Science and Engineering
Contact
Biography
Heather Doran is the Public Engagement Manager at the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science, University of Dundee. She joined the Centre soon after it was established and led the creation of the Public Engagement Strategy. The Centre was recognised in 2019 with a Gold Award from the National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement. The Centre engages with multiple audiences including members of the public, schools and all parts of the justice system through a variety of methods including publications, virtual games, experiences and classroom sessions. The Centre has contributed to science festivals around the UK and publishes a popular podcast (Inside Forensic Science).
Heather is an elected member of the international Public Communication of Science and Technology (PCST) committee and is the Programme Chair for the PCST Network 2025 which will take place in the UK for the first time. In 2015/2016 she was awarded a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Travel Fellowship on the communication of science travelling to the USA, Japan and China to explore how major research institutes and individual researchers help foster online engagement through social media. Previously she was the Science Editor for The Biochemist. Heather began her involvement in public engagement during her PhD in molecular pharmacology at the University of Aberdeen when she was Editor and co-founder of Au Science Magazine.
Research projects
Project lead
Public engagement project
In series 4 of the podcast we investigate a case of stolen identity
Public engagement project
Studying the public's perception and trust in forensic science
Public engagement project
This series of Inside Forensic Science delves into our most complicated case yet: The Ardlamont Trial. We examine this historical case with modern-day forensic scientists and ask them, ‘what would you do differently today?’
University project
A series of comics based on judicial primers exploring the benefits and limitations of different forensic evidence types.
Public engagement project
Our Citizens' Jury plays a major role in influencing and supporting the way in which forensic science research is planned, conducted and communicated
Project team
Research project
Exploring and Reducing Systematic Bias in Digital Forensic Investigations Across Europe
Public engagement project
Learn first-hand some of the techniques forensic scientists use to detect chemicals and illicit drugs with these experiments you can do at home.
Public engagement project
An interactive graphic novel murder mystery, suitable for players aged 10+.
Stories
Press release
Hundreds of free chemistry kits distributed by the University of Dundee will offer secondary school pupils an insight into life as a forensic scientist
Feature
The Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science is once again collaborating with the public to improve the robustness of forensic science.
Feature
The University of Dundee uses the Discovery platform (PURE) to publicly record all research outputs, including media recognition and track links between research projects and outputs.
