Professor Piers Howe is a Professor of Psychology in the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Melbourne. He earned a combined B.A. and M.A. in Physics from the University of Oxford in 1998, a Ph.D. in Cognitive Science from Boston University in 2003, and a Graduate Certificate in University Teaching from the University of Melbourne in 2019. His early career featured a Helen Hay Whitney Postdoctoral Fellowship and research positions at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School from 2003 to 2010. Since joining the University of Melbourne in 2010, he progressed from Lecturer (2010-2012) and Senior Lecturer (2012-2016) to Associate Professor in 2017, with recent listings confirming his professorial status.

Howe leads the Information and Influence Lab, focusing on visual perception, attention, decision-making, and critically, misinformation and disinformation. His work develops practical interventions to curb misinformation spread on social media, leveraging explainable AI and crowd wisdom. He has authored over 125 publications, including “Even arbitrary norms influence moral decision-making” (Nature Human Behaviour, 2019), “ChatGPT’s advice is perceived as better than that of professional advice columnists” (Frontiers in Psychology, 2023), “Self-Certification: A novel method for increasing sharing discernment on social media” (PLOS ONE, 2024), and “Predictors of gambling and problem gambling in Victoria” (PLOS ONE, 2019). With more than 3,200 citations and an h-index of 27, his research informs national security and policy. Howe has secured over $5.5 million in grants from the Australian Research Council, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and others. Awards include the PLOS ONE Editorship Award (2024), MSPS Award for Sustained Excellence in Learning and Teaching (2019), and Psychological Sciences Teaching Excellence Award (2014). He co-chairs the Information and Influence Hub and Hallmark Research Initiative: Fighting Harmful Online Communication, advises government on disinformation, contributes to inquiries, and serves as Academic Editor for PLOS ONE. His teaching innovations in online learning have earned recognition, complemented by public lectures and media on AI, perception, and misinformation.

Professional Email: pdhowe@unimelb.edu.au