Dr Mehzeb Chowdhury

Date of Birth: 31 January 1987

Marital Status: Married

Father's Name: Matiur Rahman Chowdhury

Spouse: Dr Orin Zahra

Mother's Name: Mahbuba Chowdhury

    Interdisciplinary academic and practitioner working across policing, forensic science, criminal justice, security, and emerging technologies. Research spans crime scene practice, AI in law enforcement, automation, futures studies, and astroforensics — published in 20 countries, in eight languages. Legal practitioner and Barrister-at-Law called in two jurisdictions. Inventor of forensic imaging systems acknowledged by NASA, the ABA, and the FBI. Award-winning filmmaker and BAFTA Crew & Connect member. Founding director of SAFTAC.
  

Experience

Assistant Professor of Policing 2022 – Present

Dept. of Social Sciences, Northumbria University

Teaching and curriculum development in policing studies, forensic science, criminal justice, and emerging technologies. Accepting PhD students in CSI, AI, VR/AR, and futures studies.

Senior Lecturer in Policing 2021 – 2022

Faculty of Health & Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol

Associate Lecturer 2019 – 2021

Dept. of Social Sciences, Northumbria University

Teaching Associate 2013 – 2017

Dept. of Sociology, Durham University

Lecturer — Undergraduate Laws 2010 – 2014

London College of Legal Studies (University of London LLB & Northumbria University DL)

Associate (2nd Year) — Civil & Criminal Litigation 2010 – 2012

Huq & Company, Barristers-at-Law

Correspondent 2006 – 2009

ESPN Bleacher Report · Goal.com International / DAZN

Selected Publications

Ratna, A., Doidge, M., Chowdhury, M. & Skillen, F. (2026). The Theatrics of Hate: Using Art-Based Methods to Understand Hate Crime and Football Fandom. Cultural Studies — Critical Methodologies, 26(1), 52–65.

Chowdhury, M. (2023). Going Cyberpunk: Conceptualizing the Smart(er) Artificially Intelligent Firearm for Policing's Utopian Future. International Journal of Police Science & Management, 25(3), 324–337.

Chowdhury, M. (2022). "The House Always Wins" — Empirical Reflections on UK Freedom of Information Legislation for Policing Research. Salus Journal, 10(2), 51–71.

Chowdhury, M. (2022). The Risks of Risk Aversion: Trajectories of Automation in Policing. In E. Johnston & S. Marsh (Eds.), Contemporary Issues in Global Criminal Justice (pp. 87–114). Rowman & Littlefield.

Chowdhury, M. (2021). Beyond Bagging and Tagging — An Empirical Investigation into the Roles, Designations and Responsibilities of Crime Scene Practitioners. Science & Justice, 61(3), 271–279.

Chowdhury, M. (2021). A Broken System? Evaluating the Perilous State of Quality Assurance in Crime Scene Practice. Science & Justice, 61(5), 564–572.

Chowdhury, M. (2017). Take a Cue From NASA: The Case for 360° Imaging at Volume Crime Scenes. CSEye, 12. Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences.

Westmarland, N., Hardey, M., Bows, H., Branley, D., Chowdhury, M. & Wistow, R. (2013). Protecting Women's Safety? The Use of Smartphone 'Apps' in Relation to Domestic and Sexual Violence. SASS Research Briefing No. 12. Durham University.

Forthcoming Publications

Chowdhury, M. & Stephens-Griffin, N. (Eds.). Exploring Cyberpunk: Criminological, Sociological and Cultural Perspectives. Emerald. [EDITED BOOK]

Chowdhury, M. Crime Scene Investigation. In C. McCartney & A. Amankwaa (Eds.), Forensic Justice. Edward Elgar.

Chowdhury, M. Quantum Leap: Strategic and Ethical Dimensions of Next Generation Technologies in Law Enforcement. In L. Huey, L. Ferguson & I. Adams (Eds.), Future Policing. Routledge.

Education

PhD — Forensic Science & Criminal Investigations 2020

Dept. of Sociology, Durham University

MSc — Criminology & Criminal Justice 2013

Dept. of Sociology, Durham University

PGDL — Bar Vocational Course 2010

School of Law, Northumbria University

LLB (Hons) — Bachelor of Laws 2009

University of London

Research Interests

Crime Scene Investigation Forensic Science Policing Artificial Intelligence Virtual Reality Augmented Reality Futures Studies Astroforensics Cyberpunk STS

Teaching Awards

Northumbria University Student-Led Teaching Awards (2020, 2023, 2024)
Durham University Excellence in Learning & Teaching (2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16)
UWE Bristol Student Experience Awards (2021/22)

Professional Memberships

Bar Council of England & Wales
Bangladesh Bar Council
British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) — Crew & Connect
British Science Fiction Association (BSFA)

Service & Inclusion

Founding Director — South Asian Film, Television & Arts Collective (SAFTAC)
Member, Independent Advisory Group — Newcastle United FC (2023–2025)
Inclusion Advisory Board — Northumberland FA
Juror — British Fantasy Awards (2023)

Journalism & Media Writing

Published in The Conversation, Daily Mail, The Independent, Space.com, Forensic Magazine, Newsweek, Sci-Fi Generation, and Netzpiloten Magazin.

Filmmaking

Cinematographer, screenwriter & colourist. Films screened at 100+ international festivals. Credits include Selvedge (2024, winner at New York Sci-Fi Film Festival & Phoenix Rising International Film Festival), Missed Call (2021, winner at Quantum Shorts Film Festival), Downtime (2021), Remind Me Yesterday (2020, Berlin Flash Festival Best Sci-Fi & Raindance 2nd Place), and Falling (2018, screened on Sundance TV).

1 / 2

Dr Mehzeb Chowdhury

Curriculum Vitae — continued

Conferences, Seminars & Invited Talks

British Society of Criminology Conference, UCLan (2023)
"Cyberpunk Policing: Navigating the Polarizing Complexities of Technology and Sustainability"

World Police Summit 2022, Dubai, UAE — Seminal Speaker
"Future of Forensics: Novel Technologies Catalysing Forensics and Crime Prevention"

Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences Seminar, Science & Justice (2021) — Seminal Speaker
"Beyond Bagging & Tagging: Understanding Crime Scene Practitioner Roles"

International Forensic Science Error Management Symposium, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD (2017)
FBI & NIST — "The Real Value of 3D & 360° Imaging in Crime Scene Investigation"

American Imperialism & National Identity Conference, Durham (2014)
Durham University, LSE, Glasgow University — "American Exceptionalism and the War on Terror"

7th North East Conference on Sexual Violence, Stockton-on-Tees (2013)
CRiVA — "Ending Victimisation & Blame Using Social Media as a Tool for Societal Change"

Inventions & Innovation

MABMAT Crime Scene Imaging Rover

Mars rover-inspired robotic system with 360° HD cameras enabling crime scene capture and VR playback for courtroom presentation. Acknowledged by NASA, ABA, and the FBI (NIST). Featured in The Atlantic, Wired, CNN, The Times, Discovery Channel, Business Insider, and Huffington Post. Version 2 in development with AI room detection and object recognition.

Artificial-Intelligence (AI) Assisted Firearm (AAF)

AI-integrated smart firearm concept addressing officer-involved shootings, police accountability, and systemic bias. Uses advanced sensor systems and computational oversight to intervene against prejudice-driven use of force. Published in the International Journal of Police Science & Management (2023).

ARTS — Augmented Reality Testimony System

Holographic projection system facilitating remote courtroom testimony for vulnerable witnesses, particularly victims of sexual abuse, eliminating the need to physically enter the witness box.

Museum Exhibits & Public Engagement

National Football Museum, Manchester (2024)
"For the Love of the Game? Football and Hate Crime"

Lates: Wearable Tech, National Science & Media Museum, Bradford (2016)
"CSI: VR"

Manchester Science Festival, Museum of Science & Industry (2016) — Headlining Exhibit
"Visit a Virtual Crime Scene with Durham University's Crime Scene Rover"

Media Recognition

MABMAT and research covered internationally by:

CNN BBC The Atlantic Wired The Times Discovery Channel Business Insider Huffington Post Newsweek Daily Mail The Independent Prothom Alo

Fiction & Creative Writing

Author of science fiction and horror short fiction published in magazines and anthologies. Works consistently featured on BSFA Awards reading lists.

Music

Co-founder of rock band Megalithic (est. 2014) with Alex McDonnell. Released The Unnamed (2018) and Serenade EP (2024).

Specialist Training

Body Location & Recovery in Forensic Contexts — Durham University & Teesside University

Key Competencies

Policing Forensic Technology Criminal Law Policy Development Curriculum Design Public Engagement Cinematography Screenwriting Data Freedom / FOI EDI Leadership VR/AR Systems

Languages

English (native proficiency) · Bengali (native proficiency) · Spanish (Level 1)

PhD Supervision

Currently supervising a doctoral researcher investigating police decision-making. Accepting further PhD students in crime scene investigation, forensic science, policing, AI, VR/AR, cyberpunk, modern dystopias, and futures studies.

References

Available upon request.

2 / 2