Rate My Professor Matthew Thompson

Dr. Matthew B. Thompson is a Senior Lecturer in Cognition in the School of Psychology at Murdoch University, where he serves as Deputy Head of School (Engagement) and Director of the Perceptual Expertise Advanced Research Lab (PEARL). Following research fellowships at the University of Queensland, the University of California, and Harvard Medical School, he joined Murdoch University to advance studies on human perceptual expertise. His research focuses on the cognitive mechanisms underlying accurate and efficient decisions in high-stakes environments, including forensics, defence biosecurity inspections, firefighting, and emergency response. Thompson explores how experts develop superior pattern recognition skills, such as in fingerprint identification, and develops evidence-based training to accelerate expertise acquisition and mitigate errors under suboptimal conditions like low visibility, time pressure, and distortion. He has secured over $1.5 million in research funding, including an Australian Research Council Linkage grant and multiple defence grants from the Defence Science and Technology Group and Navy collaborators.

Thompson's contributions extend to practical applications and public engagement. He delivers training programs to organizations such as the Western Australia Police Force, Department of Fire and Emergency Services, and Department of Health, and conducted a workshop for FBI fingerprint examiners in Washington D.C. Together with Jason Tangen, he created the Massive Open Online Course 'The Science of Everyday Thinking,' one of the world's most popular MOOCs. His key publications include 'ParaVerse: co-design of a parachute rehearsal and assessment tool using immersive virtual reality' (2024, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews), 'Inferring missing details from global structure in fingerprints' (2025, Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications), 'Model forensic science' (2016), and 'How to cross-examine forensic scientists: a guide for lawyers' (2014, Australian Bar Review). Thompson has received prestigious awards including Fulbright Scholar, Young Tall Poppy Award, American-Australian Association Fellow, International Three Minute Thesis Winner, Smart Futures Scholar, and Endeavour Fellow. He has presented public lectures on fingerprint expertise and contributes to defence human performance projects enhancing maritime biosecurity.