Biography
Dr. Leon Barron is a senior lecturer in forensic science at King’s College London. He received both a BSc in Analytical Science (2001) and a PhD in Analytical Chemistry (2005) from Dublin City University. He teaches separation science on several undergraduate and postgraduate programmes including MSc programmes in Forensic Science and Analytical Toxicology.
He has led the Environmental & Forensic Chemistry research group at King's since 2009. His main research interests lie in the development and application of defensible analytical methods to determine the occurrence, distribution, fate and effects of inorganic and organic contaminants. Underpinning this are several analytical techniques, such as advanced sample preparation (solid phase extraction, pressurized liquid extraction, passive sampling), liquid and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, ion mobility (mass) spectrometry and advanced data analysis tools using machine learning and chemiinformatics. he has published over 60 papers in peer-reviewed journals in the fields of analytical chemistry with applications in forensic and environmental science.
He leads a team of 8-10 PhD students, postdoctoral fellows and research assistants all funded and supported by UK Research Councils and/or major industrial partners. He sits on the editorial board of Science & Justice, Journal of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences and from 2011-2014 was its Editor in Chief. He regularly acts as a peer-reviewer for several internationally reputed analytical journals. He is a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He also sits on the London Biological Mass Spectrometry Discussion Group committee and is involved in the organisation of quarterly events to showcase the latest advances in mass spectrometry.