THE IRISH ACADEMIC WHO INSPIRED A HIT US DETECTIVE SHOW

DOCTOR Mary Aiken is one of the world’s leading voices on internet safety and the impact of the web on human behaviour.

Such has been the Irish academic’s influence in this area that her work as a cyberpsychologist inspired the hit show CSI Cyber – a spin-off in the popular CSI TV franchise.

The main character, Special Agent Avery Ryan (played by Patricia Arquette), was modelled on Dr Aiken, who also served as a producer on the show.

Dr Aiken’s background is in forensic psychology, which led to an awareness of the need to understand the psychology of anonymous users on the internet. She has written extensively on issues relating to the intersection between humankind and technology – or, as she describes it, ‘where humans and technology collide’.

Her book The Cyber Effect was widely acclaimed and was selected by The Times as a 2016 ‘book of the year’ in the Thought category. It was also named ‘best science pick’ by the Nature journal in 2016.

In 2013 she was appointed to the Irish Government Internet Content Governance Advisory Group, and co-led a White House research team as part of the Obama administration’s initiative ‘Tech vs Human Trafficking’.

She is an adjunct associate professor at UCD’s Geary Institute for Public Policy, and is an academic advisor (psychology) to the European Cyber Crime Centre at Europol.

Hit: The cast of CSI Cyber with Dr Aiken, back left, on whom the character played by Patricia Arquette, second from right, is based