About
Our laboratory is based at Bournemouth University (UK), led by Professor Sarah Bate. Some of our team are based at other universities in the UK, and we work collaboratively with other academics worldwide. We have over 20 years of experience in researching face recognition difficulties and also examine “super” face recognition ability, often as consultancy work for security or law enforcement agencies.
This website offers information about prosopagnosia (or “face blindness”) and super recognition, and you can also access our research publications and view media coverage about our work. Many visitors to our website would like to access an assessment of their face recognition ability, and can register their details using the button below. We are always very pleased to hear from anyone who would like to take part in our ongoing research projects.
Prof. Sarah Bate
Sarah is a Professor of Psychology at Bournemouth University, having previously completed her BSc., MSc. and PhD. degrees at the University of Exeter. Her primary research interest is in prosopagnosia, although she has investigated the full spectrum of face recognition ability with additional expertise in superior face recognition.
Sarah’s work has examined both adults and children, and a range of neuropsychological conditions. Her research has been funded by the ESRC, MRC, British Academy, Leverhulme Trust and a number of charities. Sarah was awarded the Margaret Mead Award by the British Science Association for her record of public engagement that has increased societal awareness of prosopagnosia.
Our Research
Prosopagnosia
Difficulties in recognizing facial identity occur in several conditions. The most common is known as “prosopagnosia” or “face blindness”. Our research examines the assessment and treatment of prosopagnosia in adults and children. We also campaign to raise awareness of the condition (e.g., in the NHS).
Super Recognition
We also examine people who are exceptionally good at face recognition – a skill that is required in security and policing scenarios. Our research investigates the underpinnings of super recognition in the brain, and identification and application of the skill in security settings.
Publications
Our research has been published in a wide range of high quality, international, peer-reviewed scientific journals, texts and books. We also regularly present our latest findings at meetings, conferences, and professional and public events. Prof. Bate is also author of the book Face Recognition and its Disorders.
Media
Our work has been featured in numerous outlets, including television documentaries (e.g., CBBC My Life, The One Show, 60 Minutes Australia, BBC Inside Out) and news reports (e.g., BBC and ITV News), as well as many radio interviews (e.g., BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio 4).
Findings from our research have been reported in the Scientific American and New Scientist magazines, as well as international online outlets such as IFL Science, Mental Floss, and Science Daily. More specialist publications have also featured our work, including Policing Insight, Special Educational Needs, Harvard Business Review, Australian Financial Review and the New Statesman. Our work even engaged teenagers in Top of the Pops magazine!
Contact
School of Psychology, Poole House
Bournemouth University, Fern Barrow, Poole, BH12 5BB, UK
prosopagnosiaresearch.org
Media enquiries: https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/about/contact-us/press-office
Prosopagnosia Research at Bournemouth University 