Dr Falconer is an experienced researcher, having conducted research with academic establishments, the NHS, statutory and voluntary agencies, and the private sector; and with extensive operations and project management experience.
Dr Falconer's doctorate focused on resilience and well-being in Scottish police officers, and their ability to cope with the demands of contemporary operational policing; which was funded in collaboration with the Scottish Institute for Policing Research (SIPR). Using a longitudinal and mixed method approach, with a salutogenic framework, the study identified factors (at individual, environmental and organisational level) that facilitated the well-being and resilience of officers. A model of the "resilient police officer" was presented, and a model of "trauma exposure" delineating: (i) the trajectory of outcomes following exposure to "trauma"; (ii) contributory factors to outcomes, and (iii) the characteristics of incidents perceived as "personally disturbing". Research interests: Occupational health, well-being and safety; mechanisms that facilitate coping with adverse experiences and positive outcomes post-trauma; inclusivity; unmet needs of vulnerable persons in service provision.