Nicola graduated from the University of Nottingham in 2009 with a BSc in Midwifery following the completion of a DipHE in Nursing (adult) in 2005 and Midwifery in 2008. This was followed by a PGCert in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (SCPHN – Health Visiting) and an MSc in Advanced Forensic Practice – Sexual Offences awarded by Staffordshire University in 2024.
Nicola has also been awarded a Diploma in Sexual Offence Medicine by the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine (FFLM) in 2023 following completion of their sexual offence medicine (SOM) examinations.
Nicola joined Loughborough University in 2025, her PhD is supervised by Dr Kirsty McGregor and Dr Emma Richardson.
Bias in Rape and Serious Sexual Assault (RASSO) cases
PGR Supervisors: Dr Kirsty McGregor and Dr Emma Richardson
Nicola’s PhD research explores bias in rape and serious sexual assault (RASSO). This end-to-end review will explore bias at all stages of a RASSO case as it proceeds through the criminal justice system (CJS) and the overall impact of bias on jury decision/court outcome.
This mixed methods study will be performed as an insider researcher. Nicola’s broader research interests include forensic healthcare, medicolegal aspects of sexual assault and linguistics in the CJS.