Kyra Stull, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Kyra Stull

Summary

Research

Kyra Stull's research focuses on the identification of subadults through the creation and development of age and sex estimation techniques and the impact of population structure on the pattern of modern human variation.

Most of her current research seeks to explore the predictive ability of age and sex indicators and to develop techniques to accurately identify unknown decedents. Federal funding was awarded from the National Institute of Justice (Award 2015-DN-BX-K009) and National Science Foundation (NSF BCS-1551913) to improve subadult age and sex estimation techniques. The projects use thin-slice computed tomography scans acquired from a large, diverse sample of modern subadults (ages birth to 20 years) to develop age and sex estimation techniques. Her group is collecting epiphyseal appearance and fusion data, long bone breadths and lengths, dental development, and pelvic landmark coordinates. The current NIJ and NSF projects, and her previous research, have resulted in two freely available graphical user interfaces (KidStats and KSCollect) to increase the applicability of methods for forensic anthropologists and promote collaboration.

Stull also is interested in the craniometric and postcraniometric variation in genetically admixed populations, especially in South Africa. Current research is dedicated to exploring the sex-biased asymmetry in the craniometric variation of modern South Africans. She is associated with numerous colleagues and projects concerning in-depth assessments of population variation and sexual dimorphism within South Africans. Most of the research focuses on the micro-evolutionary changes in the population and the direct effects of population history, migration, and sociopolitical regimes.

Stull is a member of the American Association of Forensic Sciences, American Association of Physical Anthropologists, and Anatomical Society of Southern Africa. She also consults on forensic anthropological cases and/or outdoor recoveries.

Specializations

  • Biological anthropology
  • Forensic anthropology
  • Modern human variation
  • Growth and development
  • Ancestry

Teaching

  • ANTH 102 (Introduction to Biological Anthropology)
  • ANTH 462 (Human Osteology)
  • ANTH 465 (Human Growth and Development)
  • ANTH 468 (Forensic Anthropology)
  • ANTH 476 (Human Variation)

Selected publications

* indicates student author

  • Stull, KE, Cole, SJ*, Cirillo, LE*, Hulse, CN* (2020) “Subadult Sex Estimation.” In: Sex Estimation of the Human Skeleton: History, Methods, and Emerging Techniques. Alexandra R. Klales, Editor. Academic Press: San Diego, CA.
  • Cole, SJ*, Hulse, CN*, Stull, KE (2020) “Skeletal Asymmetry.” In: Sex Estimation of the Human Skeleton: History, Methods, and Emerging Techniques. Alexandra R. Klales, Editor. Academic Press: San Diego, CA.
  • Stock, MK, Garvin, HM, Corron, LK, Hulse, CN*, Cirillo, LE*, Klales, AR, Colman, KL*, and Stull, KE (2020) “ The Importance of Processing Procedures and Threshold Values in CT Scan Segmentation of Skeletal Elements: An Example Using the Immature Os Coxa.” Forensic Science International 309: 1-8.
  • Colman, K. L., de Boer, H. H., Dobbe, J. G., Liberton, N. P. T. J., Stull, K. E., van Eijnaten, M., Streekstra, G. J., Oostra, R. J., Van Rijn, R. R., Oostra, R. J., & van der Merwe, A. E. (2019). "Virtual forensic anthropology: the accuracy of osteometric analysis of 3D bone models derived from clinical computed tomography (CT) scans." Forensic Science International 304: 1-10. DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2019.109963.
  • Colman, KL*, van der Merwe, AE, Stull, KE, Dobbe, JGG, Streekstra, GJ, van Rijn, RR, Oostra, R, de Boer, HH (2019) “ The accuracy of 3D virtual bone models of the pelvis for morphological sex estimation.” International Journal of Legal Medicine 133:1853–1860.
  • Hulse, CN*, Stull, KE, Weaver, A (2018) “ Rib Fracture Frequency and Location Using Vehicular Crash Data.” Forensic Anthropology 2(1): 1-8. DOI.
  • Liebenberg, L*, Krüger, GC*, L’Abbé, EN, and Stull, KE (2018) “Postcraniometric Sex and Ancestry Estimation in South Africa: A Validation Study.” International Journal of Legal Medicine. 133(1): 289-296. DOI: 10.1007/s00414-018-1865-x.
  • Colman, K*, Janssen, MC, Stull, KE, van Rijn, RR, Oostra, RJ, de Boer, HH, van der Merwe, AE (2018) “A metric method for sex determination using the proximal femur, based on Dutch clinical CT-data.” Forensic Science International 286:268.e1-268.e8. doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2017.12.029.
  • Kenyhercz, MW, Klales, AR, Stull, KE, McCormick, KA, Cole, SJ* (2017) “Worldwide Population Variation in Pelvic Sexual Dimorphism: A Validation and Recalibration of the Klales et al. Method.” Forensic Science International 277: 259.e1-259.e8. doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2017.05.001.
  • Stull, KE, L’Abbé, EN and Ousley, SD (2017) “Subadult Sex Estimation from Diaphyseal Dimensions.” American Journal of Physical Anthropology 163(1): 64–74. DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23185.
  • Spradley, MK, Stull, KE, and Hefner, J (2016) “Craniofacial Secular Change in Recent Mexican Migrants.” Journal of Human Biology 88(1): 15-29.

Funding

  • National Science Foundation (NSF BCS-1551913)
  • National Institute of Justice (Award 2015-DN-BX-K009)
  • National Research Foundation GRANT (2014): Competitive Programme For Rated Researchers (CPRR); R276,000.00 (USD $24,934)
  • 2019 - National Institute of Justice: Research and Development in Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes. “Subadult Ancestry Estimation Using Craniometrics, Macromorphoscopics, Odontometrics, and Dental Morphology.” Principal Investigator: Kyra Stull, Co-Principal Investigators: Richard Scott, Marin Pilloud, and Kate Spradley. Award No: 2019-DU-BX-0039, Commenced January 1, 2020 ($785,847)
  • 2019 - National Institute of Justice: Research and Development in Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes. “Skeletal Trauma in Forensic Anthropology: Improving the Accuracy of Trauma Analysis and Expert Testimony.” Principal Investigator: Agnew, Amanda, Co-Principal Investigator: Kyra Stull. Award No: 019-DU-BX-0040, Commenced January 1, 2020 ($782,183)
  • 2019 - National Institute of Justice: Graduate Research Fellowship in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. “Blunt Force Trauma to the Ribs: Creating Predictive Models.” Principal Investigator: Stull, KE, Co-Principal Investigator: Cortney N. Hulse. Award No: 2019-R2-CX-0047, Commence January 1, 2020 ($100,000)
  • 2019 - Erasmus+ Higher Capacity Grant. Principal Investigator: EN, L’Abbé 999,850 ‎€), University of Pretoria, South Africa. Collaborator: Stull, KE. Award No: 597924-EPP-1-2018-ZA-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP (2018-3229) ENV2, Commenced January 2019
  • 2017 - National Institute of Justice: Research and Development in Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes. “Quantifying the Impact of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors to Improve Juvenile Age Estimation.” Principal Investigator: Stull, KE. Award No: 2017-DN-BX-K0144, Commenced January 1, 2018 ($561, 528)

Education

  • Ph.D., University of Pretoria, South Africa, 2014