About

I am a Senior Lecturer in Forensic Biology and teach on the Forensic Science, Biology and Zoology undergraduate programmes.

I actively research within the fields of Forensic Entomology and Taphonomy and am currently exploring the effect of habitat and deposition scenarios on insect succession and environmental conditions on blowfly behaviour. I regularly publish my work in peer-reviewed journals and present at research conferences. 

I work as an external examiner for MSc courses and PhD students and guest lecture at other universities. I also regularly review journal articles for several peer-reviewed journals within my field.

I provide training courses in forensic entomology and insect collection techniques to forensic practitioners and work as a consultant entomologist for local councils and forensic providers.

Research interests

My research is focused on the areas of forensic entomology and taphonomy and centres around using insects in minimum time since death estimations. I am currently exploring how the environment influences blowfly activity and oviposition with a view to better understanding the pre-colonisation period and more accurately determining species-specific colonisation times and the effect of habitat and deposition scenarios on insect succession.

I am also interested in how insects and microbes colonising human remains change over time and how the microbes influence insect behaviour and development. This work contributes to our understanding and interpretation of forensic ecological evidence in terms of the minimum post-mortem interval estimation.

My research also has links with human medicine and environmental health, for example, I study the antibacterial activities of carrion-feeding insects, such as the blow fly Lucilia sericata (the species used in Maggot Debridement Therapy) and blow flies as vectors of disease.

Recent publications

• Barnes, K.M, Long, A.S, Baker, I.S, Bulling, M.T (2022) From Crime Scene to Court: How Should Future Research Address the Current Limitations in Forensic Entomology? Journal of Forensic Entomology. Retrieved from https://journals.tdl.org/jfe/index.php/jfe/article/view/2 
• Barnes, K.M, Bryson, D (2020) A classroom-based game to support student learning of missing person and clandestine grave search techniques. The Journal of Academic Development and Education. Autumn issue: 34-39. DOI: 10.21252/MRGG-ZX39
• Barnes, K.M, Whiffin, A.L., Bulling, M.T (2019) A preliminary study on the antibacterial activity and insect repellent properties of embalming fluids from the 18^th Dynasty (1550-1292 BC) in ancient Egypt. Journal of Archaeological Sciences: Reports. 25: 600-609. DOI:  10.1016/j.jasrep.2019.05.032
• Tomberlin, J.K., Benbow, M.E., Barnes, K.M., Jordan, H.R. (2017) Arthropod-microbe interactions on vertebrate remains: Potential applications in the forensic sciences Pp 274-. In: Carter, D.O., Tomberlin, J.K., Benbow, M.E., Metcalf, J.L. Forensic Microbiology. John Wiley & Sons Ltd
• Ody, H., Bulling, M.T., Barnes, K.M. (2017) Effects of environmental temperature on oviposition behavior in three blow fly species of forensic importance. Forensic Science International. 275: 138-143
• Crooks, E.R., Bulling, M.T., Barnes, K.M. (2016) Microbial effects on the development of forensically important blow fly species. Forensic Science International. 266: 185-190
• Barnes, K.M., Grace, K.A., Bulling, M.T. (2015) Nocturnal oviposition behavior of forensically-important Diptera in Central England. Journal of Forensic Sciences. 60(6): 1601-1605
• Barnes, K.M. (2013) Forensic Entomology Pp. 149-160. In: Cooper, J.E., Cooper, M.E. Wildlife Forensic Investigation: Principles and practice. CRC Press
• Barnes, K., Gennard, D. (2013) Rearing bacteria and maggots concurrently: a protocol using Lucilia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae) as a model species. Applied Entomology and Zoology. 48(3): 247-253.
• Barnes, K., Gennard, D. (2011) The effect of bacterially-dense environments on the development and immune defences of the blowfly, Lucilia sericata (Diptera:Calliphoridae). Physiological Entomology. 36: 96-100
• Barnes, Kate (2010) Maggots, Murder and Microbes. Antenna (Bulletin of the Royal Entomological Society), 34 (3):119-122
• Barnes, K., Dixon, R., Gennard, D. (2010) The antibacterial potency of the medicinal maggot, Lucilia sericata (Meigen): variation in laboratory evaluation. Journal of Microbiological Methods. 82(3): 234-237
• Barnes, K., Gennard, D., Dixon, R. (2010) An assessment of the antibacterial activity in larval excretion/secretion of four species of insects recorded in association with corpses, using Lucilia sericata Meigen as the marker species. Bulletin of Entomological Research, 22: 1-6

Membership of professional bodies

• Member of the European Association for Forensic Entomology
• Member of the Royal Entomological Society
• Member of the British Association for Human Identification
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Professional interests

• Reviewer for Journals including, Journal of Microbiological Methods, Immunology and Medical Microbiology, Ecological Entomology, Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, Tropical Biomedicine, Journal of Applied Biomedicine, Medical and Veterinary Entomology, Forensic Science International, International Journal of Legal Medicine and Insects
• Member of the ecology research group within the Forensic Capability Network 
• Member of the Royal Entomological Society’s Education and Training Committee

Qualifications

Undergraduate qualifications

• BSc (Hons) Cognitive Science, University of Exeter

Postgraduate qualifications

• MSc Bioinformatics, University of Exeter
• Post Graduate Certificate of Higher Education (PGCertHE)

Research qualifications

• PhD in Forensic Science (Entomology), University of Lincoln

Recent conferences

• Forensic Investigation Conference: From death to discovery, Wrexham, UK, February 2023. Oral Presentation entitled: Forensic Taphonomy. 
• British Association for Human Identification autumn conference, Moreton in Marsh, UK, November 2022. Oral Presentation entitled: Forensic Taphonomy; the need for a multidisciplinary approach. 
• Community changes in insect succession after delayed colonisation episodes. Oral Presentation at the Royal Entomological Society South East Regional Meeting, Greenwich, UK, January 2019
• A preliminary study on the antibacterial activity and insect repellent properties of embalming fluids from the eighteenth dynasty (1550-1292 BC) in ancient Egypt. Oral Presentation entitled at the European Association for Forensic Entomology Annual Meeting, Munich, Germany, April 2018
• The impact of small scale environmental variation on the relationship between recorded ambient temperature and corpse temperature:potential implications for estimating the minimum post mortem interval? Oral Presentation at the European Association for Forensic Entomology Annual Meeting, Treviso, Italy, June 2017
• Nocturnal oviposition behaviour in forensically-important diptera in Central England. Oral Presentation at the European Association for Forensic Entomology Annual Meeting, Lille, France, April 2014
• Using entomological evidence from a crime scene. Oral Presentation at the Second Chester Conference on Forensics: Aspects of Conservation and Wildlife Crime, Chester, UK, March 2012
• Calculating Post Mortem Interval from the natural world. Oral Presentation at the BIT's 2nd Annual World Congress of Forensics, Chongqing, China October 2011
• Insect succession in a woodland environment. Oral Presentation at the Ento'11. Annual National Meeting of the Royal Entomological Society, Chatham, UK, September 2011
• Carrion-feeding insect larvae produce small antibacterial components in their ES: potential for biomedical application? Oral Presentation at the Ento'10. Annual National Meeting of the Royal Entomological Society, Swansea, UK, July 2010
•  The influence of concentration and nutrient on the antibacterial activity in L. sericata excretion/secretion (ES): implications for liquid culture assays. Poster Presentation at the Ento '09. Annual National Meeting of the Royal Entomological Society, Sheffield, UK, July 2009
• A model of the competitive interactions between the blowfly Lucilia sericataMeigen and pathogenic bacteria found on a corpse. Poster Presentation at the  European Association for Forensic Entomology 7th Annual Meeting, Uppsala, Sweden, June 2009
• An Assessment of the Antibacterial Activity in Larval Excretion/Secretion from Four Carrion Feeding Insect Species using Lucilia sericata (Meigen) as the Marker Species. Poster Presentation at the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, Spring Meeting, Birmingham, UK, April 2009
• Differences in the antibacterial activity of Lucilia sericata (Meigen) larval excretion/secretion compared to Calliphora vicina (R-D), Tenebrio molitor(L.) and Dermestes maculatus (DeGeer). Poster Presentation at the American Society of Microbiology 108th General Meeting, Boston, USA, June 2008.

Experience in industry

Research posts

• Sheffield Hallam University: Post-Doctoral Researcher, January 2009 - August 2010
• University of Lincoln: Research Assistant, August 2005 - December 2008

In the media

• What does the discovery of a mosquito species capable of transmitting West Nile Virus in the North Marshes of Kent mean? Radio Derby Mid-morning show with Aleena Naylor. Friday 17 February 2012
• Insects in Medicine. Radio Derby afternoon show with Andy Potter. Friday 26 August 2011
• How insects can help solve crimes. Radio Derby afternoon show with Andy Potter. Friday 1 July 2011
• 1 in 3 people think sell-by dates are nonsense so should we follow sell-by dates on food products? Radio Derby Mid-morning show with Aleena Naylor. Friday 24 September 2010

Teaching responsibilities

I teach aspects of entomology, botany, microbiology and taphonomy in Forensic Science, Biology and Zoology modules across the undergraduate degree programmes.

I supervise research students in projects related to my research topics of forensic entomology, microbiology and taphonomy.