Amoret Whitaker

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Amoret Whitaker
Alma materReading University
OccupationForensic entomologist
EmployerUniversity of Winchester
Websitewww.winchester.ac.uk/academicdepartments/applied-social-sciences/PeopleProfiles/Pages/DrAmoretWhitaker.aspx

Amoret Whitaker is a forensic entomologist in the UK.[1]

Education[]

She studied a BSc in zoology at Reading University,[2] a masters of taxonomy and biodiversity at Imperial College London and the Natural History Museum, London and a PhD in forensic entomology at King's College London.[1]

Career and research[]

Amoret's early research was into fleas, which are her favourite insects.[3] She wrote the Fleas (Siphonaptera) volume of the Handbooks for the identification of British Insects,[4] published in 2007 by the Royal Entomological Society[5] and is currently writing Flea for the Reaktion Books Animal series.[1]

She moved in forensic entomology and regularly carries out casework with police forces in the UK[6] using insect evidence to determine the post mortem interval of a body. The first case she worked on was the Murder of Shafilea Ahmed.[7]

Her research looks at the development and behaviour of blowflies and beetles under different environmental conditions, she is based at the Natural History Museum in London where she is a Scientific Associate, at the body farm in Tennessee[8] and at the University of Winchester where she is a senior lecturer in forensic studies.[1]

Media and public appearances[]

In 2013 she was interviewed by Jim Al-Khalili on the BBC's The Life Scientific programme,[9] in 2017 she appeared on The Infinite Monkey Cage's episode about insects.[10] She was the Verrall Lecturer for the Royal Entomological Society in 2018, speaking on Fabulous Fleas.[11] [12] She appeared as part of a team for Reading University in the Christmas University Challenge 2020

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Whitaker, Amoret. "Academic Homepage". www.winchester.ac.uk. University of Winchester. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  2. ^ "The real-life CSI scientist". www.mirror.co.uk. 19 January 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  3. ^ "Twelve reasons why insects rule". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  4. ^ "Amoret Whitaker, forensic entomologist". valentinaproject.com. The Valentina Project. 23 February 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  5. ^ "RES Handbooks for the identification of British Insects. Volume 1 part 16 (2nd edition)". royensoc.co.uk. The Royal Entomological Society. 23 February 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  6. ^ "Six of the most extreme jobs in science". www.sciencefocus.com. BBC Science Focus Magazine. 4 June 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  7. ^ "How a love of whodunit mysteries has paved the way for forensic entomology". www.wired.co.uk. Wired. 19 December 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  8. ^ "Meet the superheroes of science - science-in-society - 22 October 2009". www.newscientist.com. New Scientist. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  9. ^ "The Life Scientific: Amoret Whitaker". www.bbc.co.uk. BBC. 8 January 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  10. ^ "Series 16, Episode 6, Will insects inherit the earth?". www.bbc.co.uk. BBC. 25 July 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  11. ^ "2018 Verrall Lecture: Fabulous Fleas by Amoret Whitaker" (PDF). www.royensoc.co.uk. Royal Entomological Society. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  12. ^ "2018 Verrall Lecturer". royensoc.co.uk. Royal Entomological Society. Retrieved 21 October 2020.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""