Dr Nejc Sedlar

Biography

I completed my Bachelor's of Science degree at the University of Aberdeen in 2019, with my thesis project investigating risk perception and decision making of general aviation pilots (see here). It was through this project that I became captivated by the study of Human Factors and how these interact with operational safety within high risk environments. As such I decided to continue my academic journey, first undertaking a Master of Research (MRes) degree and then a PhD in Psychology, with all of these projects coming under the supervision of Dr Amy Irwin and within the University of Aberdeen. My PhD project focused on the investigation of normalisation of deviance within high risk industry. Alongside the core research projects across these programmes, I also undertook several internship opportunities through which I helped in the development of two behavioural marker systems; one for helicopter crews (HeliNOTS) and the other for farmers (FLINTS). 

Following the submission of my PhD thesis at the end of 2023, I took up a Lecturer position at Robert Gordon University within the School of Applied Social Sciences. Following a rewarding year at RGU, I was presented with an opportunity to return to the University of Aberdeen as a Lecturer and help in the development and the running of an MSc programme on Human Factors and Organisational Psychology starting in September 2025. 

Internal Memberships

A member of the Applied Psychology and Human Factors (APHF) Group (website)

Prizes and Awards

2023 Principle's Prizes for Research and Engagement - Outstanding Research Award: Postgraduate / Early Career Researcher Award (Arts, Humanities & Social Science) - University of Aberdeen

2020 Anderson Prize - Outstanding MRes Thesis - University of Aberdeen

Research Overview

My main research interests revolve around the study of human factors and organisational safety. I am particularly interested in looking into why incidents happen (e.g., procedural deviations, risk taking, situation awareness), the processes surrounding the aftermath of incidents (e.g., reporting behaviours, ascriptions of blame), and how interventions are/can be implemented to reduce the likelihood of incidents or their severity.

My research experience spans various industries, including energy, aviation, and farming; covering topics such as normalisation of deviance, risk perception, visual search, and non-technical skills.