The University of Otago molecular microbiology doctoral student is studying bite marks - often sustained by the victims and the perpetrators of crimes, such as homicide, sexual assault and child abuse.
While conventional analysis of bite marks was often made difficult due to the elastic nature of skin, an alternative approach was to analyse saliva, or more specifically bacteria of the genus streptococcus, left on the bite mark.
Ms Kennedy (30) said it may be possible to identify a person by their oral streptococci DNA, and she was investigating whether it could be used as a forensic application.
To help with her research, volunteers were asked to bite their arms for 10 seconds, and then swab the bite mark for bacteria deposited by teeth.
The former Gore woman said a "love of science" at high school encouraged her to enrol for a science degree at Otago, but she left to pursue a career in the hospitality industry.
Finding a book about the work of Dr William Bass, a forensic anthropologist in the United States, inspired her to return to New Zealand in 2005 with the aim of becoming a forensic scientist.
Graduating with a degree and a post graduate diploma, Ms Kennedy "jumped at the chance" when she heard forensic dentist Prof Jules Kieser was recruiting students for further study. .
She hopes her work, which has been funded by the New Zealand Dental Research Foundation and Te Tipu Putaiao Fellowship, will have applications other than helping solve crime.
Expected to complete her PhD at the end of next year, she hopes to pursue a career in law enforcement.
Of Ngati Maru ki Hauraki descent, Ms Kennedy is one of 30 doctoral students from around the country who will present their work at the four-day national Maori doctoral student conference at Puketeraki Marae, Karitane, from today.
The theme of the conference is Te Mahi ki te Hapori - Working with Communities
