Background

Dr Rachael Carew is a Visiting Fellow affiliated to Cranfield Forensic Institute (CFI). Rachael is a Certified Forensic Anthropologist (Level III) with the Royal Anthropological Institute and specialises in 3D printing skeletal models.

Rachael is currently a Lecturer in Forensic Science with Coventry University, following completion of her PhD in Forensic Anthropology and Forensic Science at University College London (UCL). She also holds a BSc (Hons) in Forensic Science from University of the West of England (UWE) and an MSc in Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology from Cranfield University.

Current activities

Modern Conflict Archaeology

Rachael supports the Cranfield Recovery and Identification of Conflict Casualties (CRICC) team, having been deployed on several European missions to assist with the recovery of US Aircrew from WW2 crash sites. She also contributes to the Practical Archaeological Excavation module teaching.

3D Forensic Science

Rachael assists in supervising MSc thesis projects with Cranfield Forensic Institute (CFI) where she is interested in 3D imaging and printing crime scenes, bodies, and material evidence. Rachael specialises in CT scan reconstructions and consults internationally with CFI staff on 3D printing research and applications, recent funding grants and publications have focussed on evaluating juror interpretation and case studies in practice.

Forensic Anthropology

Rachael is interested in how 3D techniques can ethically augment the recovery, analysis, and reconstruction of human remains, as well as in teaching human anatomy. Rachael is an Editor for the Forensic Archaeology, Anthropology and Ecology Journal and a Team Member with UK DVI Forensic Anthropology Cadre.

Research Interests

Disaster victim identification; humanitarian forensics; ethics in forensic science; connecting research, teaching and practice; 3D imaging, 3D printing and extended reality technologies for evidence reconstruction and juror interpretation.