From bones analysis to children safeguarding – “My work gives me a great sense of purpose!”

Dr Verity Bennett, a Research Associate at the Children's Social Care Research and Development Centre (CASCADE) at Cardiff University, is developing projects that aim to use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to enhance investigations into children's injuries thanks to funding from the Health and Care Research Wales Faculty.

Dr Bennett said she was determined to make significant improvements in identifying cases of physical abuse more accurately and earlier through work funded by the Faculty’s Advancing Researcher Award.

She said: “AI technology has great potential, but we’ve only scratched the surface. It could help us make more accurate decisions about children’s injuries and intervene earlier in cases of abuse, ultimately benefitting children and families.”

Her research will address critical gaps in the current methods of interpreting children’s injuries. Dr Bennett explained: “One possible application of AI is to use machine learning to analyse bruise patterns, or help determine the age of a bruise using computer vision and numerous patient details. This could significantly impact child protection decisions by providing professionals with more information.”

The Advancing Researcher Award has been instrumental in Dr Bennett’s career development. She said: “Having dedicated ring-fenced time as an advancing researcher is critical, especially in a multidisciplinary field where we're trying to do something novel, it takes more time to develop projects.

“This dedicated time allows me to develop high-quality grant applications and enhance my own skills, which is essential for driving forward this innovative research.”

She also emphasised the importance of support from the Faculty which enables her to engage with different professionals and researchers, and enhance her professional and technical skills.

Dr Bennett’s journey into this field of research began with her undergraduate and master’s degrees in natural sciences, followed by a PhD focusing on analysing 3D images of mammal skulls to answer questions in evolutionary biology.

A shift in her career occurred when she moved to Wales and started working in child health, driven by a passion for making tangible impacts on the lives of vulnerable children.

She continued: “Children deserve the best possible start in life. Experiences of abuse can have catastrophic impacts on the rest of their life.”

Her initial work at Cardiff University’s School of Medicine, which involved researching children's burn injuries, laid the foundation for her current focus on safeguarding and AI.

Dr Bennett aims to deepen understanding of AI techniques, improve the accuracy and consistency of injury assessments, and pioneer innovative solutions for safeguarding children.

She added: “I have a great sense of purpose in the work I am doing now, which is making an impact for people - the most vulnerable people - who have so much to gain from improvements in safeguarding.”

The Health and Care Research Wales Faculty is opening several funding schemes in September and October, including the Advancing Researcher Scheme, the Personal Award Accelerator and the Trials Development Award.

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