Nessa is an academic with positions at University College Cork, Ireland and Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. She has a background in academic research, public policy, and police leadership. Her research interests are in law and technology, particularly in the child justice system, responses to serious offenses such as homicide, and the translation of academic research to policy and practice. She has also worked as a senior leader in the New Zealand Police and has held high-trust roles in data ethics and technology assurance in the private and public sectors.