Kelly Miles

Academic interests

• Forensic taphonomy
• Human anatomy
• Histology

Brief biography

Kelly Miles completed her BSc (honours) and MMM at Dalhousie University, MSc at Memorial University and PhD at UNB.

She worked for several years at Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Medicine in the Department of Anatomy as an anatomimcal embalmer as well as instruction in courses related to medicine, dentistry, occupational therapy and physiotherapy.

She began at UNB in 2012 teaching human anatomy courses, and has introduced very popular forensic biology classes to course offerings in the Department of Biology.

Dr. Miles currently researches several topics in forensic taphonomy including PMI (post-mortem intervals), CDI (cadaver decomposition islands), and stable isotopes of decomposing tissues, as well as pedagogy of undergraduate teaching.

Courses taught

• BIOL 1711 Intro Human Anatomy I
• BIOL 3593 Intro Histology
• BIOL 3713 Advanced Human Anatomy
• BIOL 3833 Forensic Biology I
• BIOL 3843 Forensic Biology II
• BIOL 4953 Forensic Biology Seminar

Selected research

Miles, KL, Gibbon VE, Hayden B. Forensic taphonomy and stable isotopes: δ13C and δ15N enrichment patterns in human skin and muscle during outdoor decomposition. (In prep.)

Miles, KL, Gibbon VE, Hayden B. Human Cadaver decomposition islands and forensic taphonomy: gravesoil δ13C and δ15N enrichment patterns in short (30 day) and extended (900 day) post-mortem intervals. (In prep.)

Miles, KL, Gibbon VE, Hayden B. Forensic taphonomy, pig proxies, and stable isotopes: changes in pig skin and muscle δ13C and δ15N during the early post-mortem interval in Atlantic Canada. (In prep.)

Miles KL, Finaughty DA, Gibbon VE. 2020. A review of experimental design in forensic taphonomy- moving toward forensic realism. Forensic Sci Res 5(4): 249-259.

Miles KL. 2019. Comparative decomposition rates of piglets buried in manure- a pilot study and implications for forensic taphonomy. Can J Forensic Sci 52(4): 174-183.