Dr Katie McBride is a Lecturer in Criminology in the School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences, recognised nationally and internationally for leadership in Critical Hate Studies. As Co-Director of the International Network for Hate Studies (INHS), she has established Critical Hate Studies as an innovative theoretical framework within the field, with dedicated research streams at international conferences and a forthcoming foundational textbook commissioned by Polity Press (forthcoming, 2027).

Her research examines the social harms embedded in contemporary neoliberal capitalist consumer society, with particular focus on hate crime, transgender experiences, and marginalised communities. Dr McBride's sole-authored monograph Trans Individuals' Lived Experiences of Harm: Gender, Identity and Recognition (Palgrave, 2023) has been widely accessed and reviewed as providing "a timely and insightful analysis" of transgender social harms. Her theoretical work on Critical Hate Studies, co-developed with Professor Zoë James, has been reviewed as "innovative" and "an insightful and important development" in the field.

Dr McBride's research directly informs policy and practice through partnerships with national organisations including Catch-22 (national community rehabilitation provider to people on probation) and the Home Office Violence Reduction Unit. She leads the community engagement stream of the £100k+ Safer Keyham project evaluating Plymouth's response to the 2021 mass shooting, demonstrating sustained impact beyond academia. Her work bridges criminological theory with real-world application through her consultancy practice, Loaftin Research & Consultancy, delivering trauma-informed training and policy analysis to criminal justice agencies.

Member of British Society of Criminology

Member of International Network for Hate Studies

Plymouth Community Homes, Non-Executive Director (Aug 2011 - Sept 2020)

Plymouth Community Homes, Chair of Customer Focus Committee (Sept 2014 - Sept 2020)

Plymouth Community Homes, Vice Chair (Nov 2017 - Sept 2020)

• Crime in context
• Researching crime and criminal justice
• Systemic violence
• Hate Crime
• Working for justice
• County lines
• Women and crime
• Inequalities