Gabriela Boneva BSc (Hons), MSc, ACSFS
Researcher
Summary
I am a researcher at Sheffield Hallam University’s Centre of Excellence in Terrorism, Resilience, Intelligence, and Organised Crime Research (CENTRIC). I conduct various research in the domains of security, crisis management, and Fight against Crime and Terrorism (FCT). Most of the projects I am involved with are concerned with crime, security, and resilience at an EU level and are funded by Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, and Erasmus+. Additionally, my main research interests include crime prevention, ballistics, forensics, and crime scene investigations.
About
I am a researcher at Sheffield Hallam University’s Centre of Excellence in Terrorism, Resilience, Intelligence, and Organised Crime Research (CENTRIC). I conduct various research in the domains of security, crisis management, and Fight against Crime and Terrorism (FCT). Most of the projects I am involved with are concerned with crime, security, and resilience at an EU level and are funded by Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, and Erasmus+. Additionally, my main research interests include crime prevention, ballistics, forensics, and crime scene investigations.
Before joining CENTRIC, I graduated from Cranfield University’s MSc Forensic Ballistics and the University of Greenwich’s BSc (Hons) Forensic Science with Criminology. The completion of my Master’s degree gave me the invaluable opportunity to train at the Defence Academy of the UK in Shrivenham. A former individual project of mine was concerned with the experimental research of the effects of tangential gunshot impacts on combat helmets and the behind helmet blunt trauma. This research feeds into the broad understanding of the phenomenon as it is a massively underexplored area of the domain and proposes future developments of combat personal protective systems. Additionally, I have experimentally researched different methods for the development of latent fingermarks deposited onto highly oxidised metal surfaces – one of the more challenging surfaces for fingerprint experts – and successfully identified a viable technique.
My passion is conducting various research in the wide domain of crime and security by applying my experience in designing and conducting experiments and performing quantitative and qualitative analyses. I also am an Associate Member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences. My hobbies include target shooting in safe indoor and outdoor environments, which further develops my understanding of the practical behaviour of firearms and builds upon my experience.
Research
- Centre of Excellence in Terrorism, Resilience, Intelligence and Organised Crime Research
Publications
Conference papers
Boneva, G., Norton-Hewins, K., Hazael, R., Brock, F., & Thawani, B. (2023). EFFECTS OF GRAZING BALLISTIC IMPACTS ON COMBAT HELMETS AND BEHIND HELMET BLUNT TRAUMA. In 33rd International Symposium on Ballistics, Bruges, Belgium, 16 October 2023 - 20 October 2023.