Dr Karen Mc Cullagh, PhD, MSc, LLM, LLB, PG Dip. Higher Education Practice, PG Cert. Professional Legal Studies (Solicitor), Senior Fellow of Higher Education Academy, British Computing Society Practitioner Certificate in Data Protection.

Karen’s research specialism is information rights encompassing data protection, privacy, Freedom of Information, and IT Law with a focus on the legal implications of emerging technologies.

Karen's research on data protection has garnered international recognition, being cited in influential policy documents by organizations including the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, and the EU Parliamentary Research Service. Her work on the impact of Brexit on UK data protection law is cited extensively in the House of Lords European Affairs Committee Inquiry Report on UK-EU data adequacy. Her collaborative research on data protection, anonymization, and pseudonymisation has led to invitations to provide expert advice to various stakeholders, including academia, regulatory bodies, and industry.

Her comparative research on freedom of information laws has led to invitations to give oral evidence to the Scottish Parliament and talks to practitioners.

Karen is also a frequent contributor to media outlets, providing expert commentary on legal and technological issues. She has been interviewed by the BBC and has written for prestigious blogs including EU Law Live and Inforrm.

PhD supervision interests

Karen is interested in supervising research students in all areas of privacy and data protection, freedom of information, and other legal aspects of information technology, such as the use of social media technologies to promote e-democracy and freedom of expression. 

Completed PhD Research Students

Michael Heslin, (PhD, 2024) “The Future Hurtles Towards the Past: The Structure of Moral Enterprise Liability.” 

Bradley Foster, (PhD, 2023) "Fake News’: Legal and Psychological Challenges in the Regulation of Social Media."

Laura Caulton, (PhD, 2020), “Communications offences and social media: Evidencing a hybrid approach to dealing with low-level criminal cyber speech from perpetration to conviction.”

Warut Songsujaritkul, (PhD 2018), "Rethinking Media Plurality Regulation: Promoting Exposure Diversity and Controlling the Power of New Online Selection Intermediaries."  

Teaching Excellence 

Karen is a dedicated teacher. She has won several awards for excellence in teaching, including the Students' Union Transforming Education Award: Advisor of the Year in 2017-18, UEA Student Law Society award in the category: ‘Lecturer who makes me want to attend a 9am lecture!,’ in the academic year 2015-16, and the UEA Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2013. She has also been nominated for the OUP Law Teacher of the Year award in 2019, and a Teaching Excellence Award at the University of Salford in 2008 and 2011. Her commitment to teaching excellence is further evidenced by her recognition as a Senior Fellow of Advance HE.

Teaching Pedagogy

Karen contributed as executive member of BILETA to the development of a Lecture Recording Policy, and to the development of JISC's National Centre for AI development of a report  A Pathway to responsible, ethical AI, and contributed to the development of UEA's Lecture Capture Policy. 

Karen conducted a pilot study on the use of films and documentaries to teach Internet law during the academic year 2016-17.  She disseminated the findings of her study in three different ways: a poster at the University’s Learning & Teaching Conference in May 2017 and at the BILETA conference 2018, and article in the University’s Learning Highlights Magazine (Spring edition).

She also conducted a study on the use of ‘clicker quizzes’ to improve interaction and engagement in Lectures and as a formative assessment tool in 2011. She presented the findings of the clicker study at the 6th annual Education in a Changing Environment Conference where the paper was shortlisted for a prize. She also disseminated the findings of the action study in the journal: Practice and Evidence of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.