The American TV Network CBS has announced its intention to produce a spin-off of the popular TV series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. The show will focus on cybercrime and is based on the work of cyber psychologist Mary Aiken, Director of RCSI CyberPsychology Research Centre.

The spin-off explores technology, as we know it, and how human behaviour has become amplified online. In the show, the character of Avery Ryan (inspired by Mary Aiken), special agent in charge at the Cyber Crime Division of the FBI is tasked to solve high-octane crimes that start in the mind, live on-line and play out in the real world.

CSI’s executive producers Anthony E. Zuiker, Ann Donahue and Carol Mendelsohn will executive produce the newest spin-off along with Jerry Bruckheimer and Jonathan Littman. Mary Aiken will also be a producer on the show. The pilot for the potential series will air as a ‘CSI’ episode in America this spring.

Mary Aiken is a Scholar, CyberPsychologist, Television Presenter and Writer. She is a CyberPsychologist and Research Fellow at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland’s Institute of Leadership and a Fellow at the US IBM Network Science Research Centre. CyberPsychology is an emerging field within applied psychology, focusing on Internet Psychology. Other technologies are also considered; virtual environments, artificial intelligence, gaming, digital convergence, mobile telephones and networking devices. Mary’s doctoral research at RCSI focuses on Cyber Behavioural Analysis.

Mary research interests centre on Forensic Cyber Psychology aspects of cyber-reporting of crime, cyberstalking, virtual behavioural profiling, cyberchondria, technology facilitated human trafficking and cyber security. She was one of the featured experts, writer and researcher on the TV3 prime time television series Crime in Mind.

The programme centred on the application of contemporary forensic psychology methodology and theory to Irish Cold Cases, this was a first for Irish TV in this area. The series was broadcast in 2011 and 2012.

In October 2013, Mary was appointed by the Irish Minister for Communications to the Internet Content Governance Advisory Group. Mary is also an observer to the INTERPOL Specialists Group on Crimes against Children.