Dr Kirin Hilliar

PhD in Psychology, MSc in Psychology (Forensic)

Role
Assistant Professor - Department of Psychology
Section
School of Social Sciences
Email
Phone
00971 4 4358779
Kirin Hilliar

About

Dr Hilliar's work spans across various fields of forensic, organisational, and clinical psychology in Australia and the UAE, including corrective custodial services, forensic mental health, workplace recruitment assessments for Dubai government entities and out-patient therapeutic services.

Besides her full-time role at Heriot-Watt University, Dr Hilliar also works part-time as a Psychologist in a private mental health clinic in Dubai. She is licensed to practice as a Psychologist under the Government of Dubai’s Community Development Authority (CDA).

Dr Hilliar regularly liaises with, consults, and provides training for, government, semi-government, and private organizations. She is extremely passionate about ensuring practices and procedures across a range of contexts (e.g., in the legal system; at workplaces) are research informed.

Biography

Academic Leadership and Affiliations:

Internal:

  • Chair of the Psychology Ethics Review Committee
  • Deputy Chair of the SOSS Ethics Review Committee
  • Member of the School Disciplinary Committee (SDC) for SOSS
  • Member of the University Senate
  • Member of the University Disciplinary Committee (UDC)
  • Member of the University Studies Committee (USC)

External:

  • Organizing Lead for the International Psychology Conference Dubai (IPCD)
  • Consultant and contributor to VIWELL.

Qualifications:

  • British Psychological Society (BPS) Level 1 & 2 Test User: Occupational – Ability & Personality, CEB (now Gartner), 2016
  • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of New South Wales (UNSW), 2011
  • Master of Psychology (Forensic), University of New South Wales (UNSW), 2011
  • Bachelor of Psychology (First Class Honours and the University Medal), University of New South Wales (UNSW), 2006.
Research

Dr Hilliar’s research interests cross over areas of cognitive psychology (e.g., face recognition), clinical psychology (e.g., mental health service provision; bullying) and forensic psychology (e.g. violent behaviours). 

Publications
  • Hilliar, K. F. (2024, August 1-3). Sticks and stones, scripts and scenes: Utilizing theatre-based teaching approaches into anti-bullying workshops in high schools. International Perspectives on Psychology Learning and Teaching AsiaPLAT Conference 2024, Bengaluru, India. https://icplt.christuniversity.in/
  • Noble, L., Hilliar, K. F., & Tawfik, L. (2022, October 15-16). Exploring the impact of collaborative theatre in the creation of a culture of resilience. International Psychology Conference in Dubai 2022, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. https://www.psych-me.com/resources
  • Hilliar, K. F. (2022, March 14-17). “We’ve got him”: Integrating AI with human decision-making to optimize face recognition and face matching in police investigations. World Police Summit, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
  • Hilliar, K. F. (2020, October 12-14). “Was it REALLY this man?” Forensic psychology considerations when using face recognition technology and evidence. Forensics Middle East and Africa.
  • Hilliar, K. F., Kemp, R. I., & Denson, T. F. (2010). Now everyone looks the same: Alcohol intoxication reduces the own-race bias in face recognition. Law and Human Behavior, 34(5), 367–378. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10979-009-9204-x
  • Hilliar, K. F., & Kemp, R. I. (2008). Barack Obama or Barry Dunham? The appearance of multiracial faces is affected by the names assigned to them. Perception, 37(10), 1605-1608. https://doi.org/10.1068/p6255
  • Hilliar, K. F. (2008). Police-recorded assaults on hospital premises in New South Wales: 1996-2006. Crime and Justice Bulletin no. 116, NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, Sydney. https://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/Pages/bocsar_publication/Pub_Summary/CJB/bocsar_mr_cjb116.aspx