Dr Nathan Ryan

Dr Nathan Ryan serves as a research fellow at the Australian Catholic University, located in Melbourne, Australia. His primary area of research expertise revolves around enhancing the investigation process in cases of missing body homicides, with a specific emphasis on employing investigative interviewing techniques to facilitate the retrieval of spatial memory details from suspects and examine patterns of concealment behaviour.

In addition to his work in this field, Dr Ryan has conducted research into the perceptions of rape trial testimony and the profound influence of the prison visitation process on its visitors. His knowledge extends to the psychology of criminal behaviour, policing theory, and research methodology. Notably, he has played a role in delivering training programs for the Queensland Police Service, specifically focusing on witness suggestibility and the psychology of offenders as part of their detective training curriculum.

Dr Ryan is a member of both the International Investigative Research Group (iIIRG) and the Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology (ANZSOC), where he actively contributes to the advancement of criminological knowledge and practices.

  • Dr Ryan has recently received the National Intelligence Postdoctoral Research Grant (NIPG). Through this grant, he is presently engaged in research investigating the influence of emotional states on spatial decision-making processes concerning homicide body disposals and clandestine burials. His work promises to shed new light on this critical aspect of criminal investigations.

  • Dr Ryan’s research is focused on the retrieval of spatial details, and psychological factors in homicide cases that involve body disposal.

  • Ryan, N. C. (2024). Psychological factors of offender decision-making in body disposal: Further considerations to apply to a ‘Winthrop’ model [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Australian Catholic University.

    Ryan, N. C., & Kebbell, M. R. (2022). Developing a psychological research base for criminal investigations: Academics and practitioners working together. In P. B. Marques & M. Paulino (Eds.), Police Psychology (pp. 297-312). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-816544-7.00014-0

    Ryan, N. C., Kebbell, M. R., Westera, N. J., Milne, R., & Harrison, M. (2020). To know where the bodies are buried: The use of the cognitive interview in an environmental scale spatial memory retrieval task. Applied Psychology, 34(3), 565-576. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.3640

    Ryan, N. C., Westera, N. J., Kebbell, M. R., Milne, R., & Harrison, M. (2019). Where is the body? Investigative interviewing strategies in missing body homicide cases. Investigative Interviewing: Research and Practice, 10(1), 62-77. http://www.iiirg.org/journal