About

I am the Deputy Dean for the College of Science and Engineering, providing strategic and operational leadership to support the College's four schools: School of Computing; School of Engineering; School of Science and School of Sport and Exercise Science. My role spans the spectrum of learning and teaching, research, home and international partnerships and academic enterprise.

I work with the Heads of School and other members of the College Leadership Team to operationalise strategic objectives, enhancing the student experience and ensuring successful delivery of the College Business Plan.

Prior to joining the University of Derby, I was Head of Applied Science at Northumbria University, Newcastle.

Teaching responsibilities

My role primarily focuses on leadership but I do maintain my teaching commitments through PhD supervision and occasional lectures on forensic science. 

Prior to moving into academia, my first graduate role was as a forensic scientist, a career I loved for 9 years.  With expertise in body fluids, DNA and blood pattern analysis (BPA) my caseload focused on sexual, violent and major crime investigations.

Research interests

My research centres on the the understanding and transparency of expert evidence; specifically the requirement for communication to be both intelligible and reliable.

This encompasses the Duties of an Expert, Forensic Science Regulation and the Criminal Procedure Rule and Practice Direction.

Membership of professional bodies

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

Professional Member (MCSFS) of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences (1997-to date)

Qualifications

DLaw (2020, Northumbria University, Newcastle) in Expert Evidence in Criminal Proceedings: What steps should be taken to enhance the transparency of forensic science evidence and thus facilitate a more rigorous and and effective assessment of its reliability. 

PG Cert Academic Professional Learning (2010, Northumbria University, Newcastle)

MSc Forensic Science (1998, King College, London)

BSc Applied Biology (1996, University of Central Lancashire, Preston)

Recent conferences

Policing in the Digital Society 2024 Conference, January 2025, Newcastle, UK Presentation: Digital Forensics in the Criminal Justice System: Use, Effectiveness and Impact. Cerian Griffiths, Emma Piasecki, Sophie Carr, Philip Anderson, Tim J Wilson.

Policing in the Digital Society 2023 Conference, April 2024, Apeldoorn, Netherlands,  Presentation: The Northumbria University Digital Forensics Project. Cerian Griffiths, Emma Piasecki, Sophie Carr, Philip Anderson, Tim J Wilson.

European Academy of Forensic Science 2018 Conference, Lyon, August 2018 Presentation: Demonstrating Reliability and Directing Scrutiny: a framework to assist scientists and lawyers. Carr, S., Piasecki, E., [Tully, G., and Gallop, A co-authors but not presenting]

Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences’ International Autumn Conference, Nov 2016 Presentation: Critical trust’ as a reformative principle in criminal evidence Speakers: Forensic Science Regulator – Tully, G., Wilson, T., Carr, S and Piasecki, E.

Experience in industry

Scene and court attending scientist, with expertise in the analysis and interpretation of body fluids and DNA.  My caseload focused on sexual, violent and major crime investigation.  Having led on numerous high profile murder investigations, I have given expert evidence in courts across England including the Old Bailey. Latterly I was manager of the Homicide and Sexual Offence teams of the Forensic Science Service (FSS, Wetherby).

International experience

In my roles at the Universities of Derby and Northumbria I have travelled to academic partnership providers in Grenada, Sri Lanka, Greece, China and Botswana.  These visits have included business development discussions, oversight of franchise and validated provision and chairing of committee meetings across the subjects of biomedical science, biotechnology, computing, engineering, medicine, sport and exercise science.

Recent publications

The Northumbria University Digital Forensics Project. Digital Forensics within the Criminal Justice System: Use, Effectiveness and Impact (2024) Digital Forensics in the Criminal Justice System: Uses, Effectiveness and Impact

Carr, S., Piasecki, E., Tully, G. and Gallop, A. Demonstrating Reliability and Directing Scrutiny: a framework to assist scientists and lawyers. Forensic Science International, Special Issue 2020 308-13.

Edmond, G., Carr, S and Piasecki, E. Science Friction: Streamlined Forensic Reporting, reliability and justice.  Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, Vol 38, 4, 2018 p764-792.

Carr, S and Piasecki, E.  Duties of the Expert Witness R v Pabon [2018] EWCA Crim 420. Journal of Criminal Law 2018, Vol. 82 (2) 113-116.

Carr, S., Piasecki, E., Tully, G. and Wilson, T. (2016) Opening the scientific expert’s black box: ‘critical trust’ as a reformative principle in criminal justice. Journal of Criminal Law, 80 (5), pp 354-386.