Julia Shaw Biography: Powerful Work on Memory and Crime

Introduction

Julia Shaw is a German-Canadian criminal psychologist, bestselling author, researcher and television presenter. She is widely known for studying false memories, criminal behaviour and the way unreliable memories can affect police investigations and court cases.

Her career combines academic psychology with books, podcasts, documentaries, public speaking and technology. She has also researched bisexuality, workplace harassment, environmental crime and the relationship between artificial intelligence and human decision-making.

Julia Shaw is best known for The Memory Illusion, Making Evil, Bi and Green Crime.

Quick Bio

Field	Details
Full Name	Julia Shaw
Professional Name	Dr Julia Shaw
Date of Birth	January 20, 1987
Age	39 years old as of June 2026
Birthplace	Cologne, West Germany
Nationality	German-Canadian
Profession	Criminal psychologist, author, researcher and presenter
Education	Psychology, Psychology and Law, Queer History
Doctoral Degree	PhD in Psychology
Main Research Area	False memories and criminal psychology
Famous For	False-memory research and popular science books
Languages	English and German
Civil Partner	Paul Livingston
Books	The Memory Illusion, Making Evil, Bi and Green Crime
Podcast Work	Bad People and Project Mind Control
Business Venture	Co-founder of Spot
Upcoming Academic Role	Visiting researcher at King’s Institute for Artificial Intelligence from July 1, 2026

Why Julia Shaw Is Famous

Julia Shaw became famous through her research into false memories. Her work explores how people can develop strong and detailed memories of events that never happened.

This subject has serious importance in criminal justice. Witnesses, victims and suspects may feel completely certain about a memory even when parts of it have been changed by suggestion, time or repeated questioning.

Shaw has explained these difficult scientific ideas through public talks, interviews, books and documentaries. This ability to make complex research understandable has helped her build an international audience.

Her work places her among bestselling authors and public thinkers who use books to introduce large social and intellectual questions to general readers.

Early Life and Background

Julia Shaw was born on January 20, 1987, in Cologne, which was then part of West Germany.

She spent parts of her early life in Germany and Canada. Growing up across different countries gave her experience of more than one language, culture and education system.

Shaw later said that her interest in psychology was partly connected to seeing how different people could remember the same situations in different ways. She wanted to understand why people sometimes appeared to hold conflicting versions of reality.

That curiosity eventually developed into a serious academic interest in memory, identity and criminal behaviour.

Education and Academic Training

Shaw began her university education at Simon Fraser University in Canada, where she studied psychology.

She later moved to the Netherlands and completed a master’s degree in Psychology and Law at Maastricht University. This programme connected psychological science with legal evidence, witnesses, criminal investigations and courtroom decisions.

Shaw then completed a PhD in psychology at the University of British Columbia. Her doctoral research examined the construction of rich false memories connected with criminal behaviour.

She later completed another master’s degree in Queer History at Goldsmiths, University of London. This qualification supported her research into bisexual history, identity and political visibility.

Her education is unusual because it connects experimental psychology, law, criminal justice, history and sexuality research.

Beginning of Her Academic Career

After completing her advanced studies, Shaw developed a career in teaching and psychological research.

She held academic positions in Canada before moving into British higher education. Her work included forensic psychology, criminology and research into memory.

In 2013, she became a lecturer in forensic psychology at the University of Bedfordshire. She later joined London South Bank University as a senior lecturer in criminology.

In 2017, she became an honorary research associate in psychology at University College London. Her work continued to focus on false memory, interviewing methods and the criminal justice system.

False-Memory Research

Julia Shaw’s most recognised research examines whether people can be encouraged to remember emotional experiences or crimes that never occurred.

In one well-known experiment conducted with psychologist Stephen Porter, participants were given real personal information collected from their families. Researchers then mixed those true details with a fictional event from the participant’s teenage years.

Over several interviews, some participants developed beliefs or detailed memories about the invented event. Some even described feelings, locations and actions connected with a crime they had never committed.

The original study reported that around 70% of participants developed false memories or false beliefs. Other researchers later used stricter definitions and argued that the number of complete false memories was closer to 26% to 30%.

Shaw responded to this academic debate by explaining that memory and belief are sometimes difficult to separate. The disagreement is best understood as a scientific discussion about definitions and research coding.

Her central message remained clear: human memory is not a perfect recording of the past.

Why False Memories Matter

False memories can have serious consequences when they enter police interviews, therapy sessions or criminal trials.

A witness may unintentionally change a memory after hearing another person’s account. Leading questions can also introduce details that were not present in the original experience.

Repeatedly imagining an event can make it feel more familiar. That familiarity may later be mistaken for proof that the event actually happened.

Shaw has trained police and military personnel on interviewing methods. She encourages investigators to collect statements early, keep witnesses separate and avoid questions that suggest an expected answer.

Her work shows why confidence should not automatically be treated as proof of accuracy.

The Memory Illusion

Julia Shaw published her first popular science book, The Memory Illusion, in 2016.

The book explains how memories are created, stored, changed and sometimes completely invented. It covers false memories, learning, sleep, hypnosis, digital information and personal identity.

Shaw uses everyday examples to show that remembering something incorrectly does not always mean a person is lying. In many cases, the person honestly believes the changed memory.

The Memory Illusion became an international bestseller and was translated into around 20 languages.

Making Evil

Shaw’s second major book, Making Evil, examines why people commit acts that society describes as evil.

Instead of treating offenders as monsters who are completely different from ordinary people, she explores the psychological, cultural and situational factors behind harmful behaviour.

The book discusses violence, prejudice, terrorism, criminality and sexual taboos. Its main argument is that the word “evil” can prevent people from examining the real causes of destructive actions.

Shaw encourages readers to understand harmful behaviour without excusing it. Her approach uses empathy as a research tool rather than as a way to remove responsibility.

Bi

In 2022, Shaw published Bi: The Hidden Culture, History and Science of Bisexuality.

The book examines how bisexuality has been measured, represented and misunderstood. It discusses sexuality research, bisexual history, animal behaviour, discrimination and visibility.

Shaw publicly identifies as bisexual. She explained in a Guardian interview that she began researching the subject after discovering that many of her own questions were not answered by existing books.

She also founded a Bisexual Research Group and helped bring greater attention to bisexuality as a serious field of academic study.

Green Crime

Shaw’s fourth nonfiction book, Green Crime, was published in 2025.

The book investigates environmental crimes committed by individuals, companies and organised criminal groups. It explores why people destroy ecosystems, exploit natural resources or avoid environmental laws.

Cases discussed in the book include the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the Dieselgate emissions scandal and international organised crime linked with environmental destruction.

Shaw created a six-pillar psychological model to explain the motivations behind environmental crime. Her work challenges the simple idea that every environmental offender is motivated only by greed.

Her move into environmental subjects connects her with the wider tradition of nature writing and environmental thought, while keeping criminal psychology at the centre of her analysis.

Television Career

Julia Shaw has built a successful television career alongside her academic work.

She presents Killers: Caught on Camera, a documentary series examining crimes recorded through security cameras, mobile phones and other visual evidence. Four seasons have been released, while a fifth season was in production in June 2026.

She also presents the related series Murder in Mind and regularly appears as a criminal-psychology expert.

In 2024, she co-hosted the BBC Two programme The Misinvestigations of Romesh Ranganathan. The series revisited famous criminal cases and questioned common beliefs surrounding them.

Like other British television presenters and authors, Shaw has expanded her public career across broadcasting, books and live events.

Podcasts and Audio Programmes

Between 2020 and 2024, Julia Shaw wrote and hosted 125 episodes of the BBC Sounds podcast Bad People.

The programme used psychology and criminology to examine murder, abuse, criminal investigations and difficult moral questions. It was initially co-hosted by Sofie Hagen and later by journalist Amber Haque.

Shaw has also worked on BBC audio programmes including Experts on Trial, The Human Subject, Bi People, When Reality Breaks and The Kidnapping of Stephanie Slater.

In March 2026, she released Project Mind Control. The podcast examines attempts to control human thought and explores troubling periods in the history of psychiatry.

Her evidence-based approach differs from traditional BBC investigative broadcasting, but both styles depend on detailed research and clear public storytelling.

Spot and Artificial Intelligence

In 2017, Shaw co-founded Spot, a technology company using artificial intelligence and cognitive science in workplace reporting.

The original system helped employees document harassment and discrimination. It used carefully structured questions designed to collect information without unnecessarily influencing a person’s memory.

Spot later developed into a broader platform for workplace investigations, whistleblowing, compliance and case management.

The business shows how Shaw has applied psychological research outside universities. It also began her deeper interest in the relationship between AI, evidence and human decision-making.

Public Speaking and Writing

Shaw has written for publications including Scientific American, Psychology Today and BBC Science Focus Magazine.

She has also delivered public talks about false memories, criminal psychology, workplace harassment and artificial intelligence.

Her speaking work has included organisations such as Microsoft, Google, LinkedIn and Meta. Her talks focus on how technology may affect truth, accountability, memory and organisational decision-making.

Readers interested in the psychology of politics and public debate may find similar questions about emotion, evidence and public trust across Shaw’s work.

Personal Life and Advocacy

Julia Shaw is in a civil partnership with British employment and discrimination barrister Paul Livingston. The couple entered their civil partnership in 2020.

She publicly came out as bisexual while working on Making Evil. She later explained that writing about LGBTQ+ visibility made her reconsider her own lack of public visibility.

Her book Bi combines scientific research with parts of her personal experience. However, her public work focuses mainly on research, history and social change rather than private relationship details.

Her combination of research, communication and human-centred subjects also connects with writers who combine journalism with trauma work.

Public Image and Main Ideas

Julia Shaw is known for questioning ideas that many people accept without examination.

Her work challenges the belief that memory operates like a video recording. She also questions the use of “evil” as a simple explanation for criminal behaviour.

Shaw supports careful interviewing, evidence-based criminal justice and stronger awareness of how questions can influence memory.

Her books on bisexuality and environmental crime also show an interest in subjects that have often been ignored, simplified or misunderstood.

Her public style is direct, accessible and sometimes provocative. She uses unusual examples and true cases to make academic research easier to understand.

Current Status in 2026

As of June 24, 2026, Julia Shaw remains active as an author, psychologist, presenter, podcast host and speaker.

According to her official biography, she is spending part of summer 2026 as a visitor at the Centre for the Governance of AI. Her work there focuses on social science, advanced AI and decision-making.

She is scheduled to begin as a visiting researcher at the King’s Institute for Artificial Intelligence on July 1, 2026. Because that date had not arrived on June 24, the appointment should be described as upcoming rather than current.

She is also promoting Green Crime, developing work about artificial intelligence and presenting criminal-psychology programmes.

Interesting Facts About Julia Shaw

• She was born in Germany but also grew up in Canada.
• She speaks English and German.
• Her first book was translated into around 20 languages.
• She has trained police personnel about false memories.
• She combines psychology with law, history and technology.
• She wrote and hosted 125 episodes of Bad People.
• A German television character was inspired by her work.
• She co-founded an AI-assisted workplace-reporting company.
• She has written four major nonfiction books.
• Her latest research interests include AI, evidence and accountability.

Conclusion

Julia Shaw has created a distinctive career by connecting psychological science with crime, memory, media and public debate.

Her false-memory research showed why honest people can confidently remember events incorrectly. She then expanded her work through bestselling books, BBC podcasts, television documentaries and artificial-intelligence projects.

From The Memory Illusion to Green Crime, Shaw continues to investigate how people understand reality, responsibility and harmful behaviour. Her career shows how academic research can influence criminal justice, workplace systems and everyday thinking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Julia Shaw?

She is a German-Canadian criminal psychologist, author, researcher and television presenter.

How old is Julia Shaw?

She is 39 years old as of June 24, 2026.

Where was Julia Shaw born?

She was born in Cologne, West Germany.

What is Julia Shaw famous for?

She is famous for researching false memories and explaining criminal psychology through books and media.

What did Julia Shaw study?

She studied psychology, psychology and law, and queer history.

What books has Julia Shaw written?

She wrote The Memory Illusion, Making Evil, Bi and Green Crime.

Who is Julia Shaw’s civil partner?

Her civil partner is British barrister Paul Livingston.

Is Julia Shaw still working?

Yes. She remains active in psychology, publishing, television, podcasts, AI research and public speaking.