Key details
Dr Anita Fumagalli
Senior Lecturer in Forensic Psychology
Anita joined Greenwich university in November 2024 as a Senior Lecturer in Forensic Psychology. She has gained an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Italy and a Master’s degree in Investigative Psychology from the University of Huddersfield, UK. Anita then completed a PhD exploring the validity of the polygraph using the Concealed Information Test to detect concealed information from groups of suspects.
She has held academic roles at several universities, including Leeds Beckett, Coventry University, and Bath Spa University, before transitioning to a research-focused role with the London Metropolitan Police. As Lead Researcher for the Strategic Insight Unit (SIU), she led a wide range of projects aimed at enhancing police performance, standards, and public trust. Some of the research areas she worked on include police culture, victim care, trust and confidence, offender profiling, and police performance (e.g. stop and search practices).
Responsibilities within the university
Teaching modules in the BSc in Psychology and MSc in Forensic Psychology.
Research / Scholarly interests
My current research interests include:
police culture, offender profiling (particularly around cybercrimes), and criminal group dynamics, with a particular focus on understanding the complexities of gangs and knife crimes.
Recent publications
Synnott, J., Ioannou, M. & Fumagalli, A., 2016. A review of the polygraph: History, current status and emerging research. Custodial Review, pp. 22-23.
Tsani-Pepelasi, C., Ioannou, M., Synnott, J. & Fumagalli, A., 2017. Cyber-bullying and children’s unmonitored media violence exposure. Assessment and Development Matters Journal, 9(4), pp. 2-6. ISSN 2040-4069.
Fumagalli, A., Synnott, J., Ioannou, M. & Tsani-Pepelasi, C., 2018. The use of the polygraph as post-conviction sex offenders testing. Assessment and Development Matters Journal, 10(1), pp. 22-25. ISSN 2040-4069.
Tsani-Pepelasi, C., Pylarinou, N. & Fumagalli, A., 2019. School-bullying, cyber-bullying and moral foundation. Assessment and Development Matters Journal, 11(4), pp. 11-15. ISSN 2040-4069.
Fumagalli, A. & Johnson, C., 2020. The role of geography in property crimes. In: A. Burrel & M. Tonkin, eds. Property Crime: Criminological and Psychological Perspectives. UK: Routledge, pp. [pages]. ISBN 9781351803045.
Halle, C., Tzani-Pepelasi, C., Pylarinou, N. & Fumagalli, A., 2020. The link between mental health, crime and violence. New Ideas in Psychology, 58. ISSN 0732-118X. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.newideapsych.2020.100779.
Gunn, R., Tzani-Pepelasi, C., Ioannou, M., Synnott, J. & Fumagalli, A., 2021. An exploration of cyberstalking among social media users: Perceptions, prevalence and characteristics. Assessment & Development Matters Journal, 1. ISSN 2040-4069.
Fumagalli, A., Synnott, J. & Ioannou, M., 2021. Verbal vs visual stimulation using the Concealed Information Test. Assessment & Development Matters Journal, 14(2). ISSN 2752-8111.
Brown, H.L., Tzani, C., Fumagalli, A., Reynolds, A.L. & Williams, T.J.V., 2022. Prison officers’ perceptions of prisoner male rape victims in England and Wales. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, pp. 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11896-022-09545-3.
Fumagalli, A., Trayford-Jillings, T. & Chrysikos, A., 2023. Cyberbullying: Differentiating offenders’ criminal roles using a narrative-based approach. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 29, pp. 1-16.
Ioannou, M., Tzani, C., Price, P., Walker, F., Williams, T.J.V. & Fumagalli, A., 2024. #NoFilter: The impact of social media body dysmorphic disorder in adults. Mental Health Science, e89. https://doi.org/10.1002/mhs2.89.
Trist, N., Tzani-Pepelasi, C., Ioannou, M., Williams, T., Mojtahedi, D. & Fumagalli, A., 2025. The impact of offence type and gender-role attitudes on sentencing decisions for male and female offenders. Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1002/jip.1646.