We are delighted to welcome back our monthly online talk series! The new series will run on the second Wednesday of the month at the new time of 16:00 – 17:00 (UK Time). Each session will be aligned with one of our seven scientific journals, so tune in to hear an in depth discussion on a specific field of entomology alongside key updates and new activities from the Society.

These talks are free for RES members, so join today! Please note, all attendees, including members, must register below to receive the link to attend the talk.

Novel approaches and advances in forensic entomology

Wednesday 11 December
16:00 – 17:00 (GMT)

The last of our 2024 online talk series highlights RES journal, Medical and Veterinary Entomology, dedicated to the dissemination of impactful entomological research of medical, veterinary and forensic importance. The journal highlights transmission dynamics of vector-borne pathogens, arthropod ecology, behavior and development, and innovative control approaches. Emphasizing novel research with original articles, short communications, and reviews, excluding purely descriptive studies. Focusing on arthropod biology, and interactions with hosts and pathogens, the journal is a valuable platform for advancing medical, veterinary and forensic entomology research.

We are delighted to welcome Amoret Whitaker and Molly Mactaggart of the University of Winchester who are co-authors of a paper due to be published in an upcoming Special Issue on Novel Approaches and Advances in Forensic Entomology.

You can access the full paper here.

The session will be chaired by Zanthé Kotzé, Associate Editor of Medical and Veterinary Entomology and co-guest editor of the Special Issue.

Amoret Whitaker
University of Winchester

Amoret first became interested in entomology whilst studying the BSc (Hons) in Zoology at the University of Reading, resulting in a final thesis on hoverfly mimicry.  She then studied the MSc Taxonomy and Biodiversity at Imperial College London, based at the Natural History Museum, completing a thesis on tiger beetle morphology and genetics.  After a short stint writing papers on parasitic wasps at the NHM and Imperial Silwood Park, Amoret spent three years rewriting the Handbook of British Fleas.  She then began a part-time PhD in Forensic Entomology with King’s College London, based at the Natural History Museum.  As well as gathering data from fieldwork and labwork on piglet carcasses in London, a considerable portion of her PhD thesis was based on fieldwork carried out at the Anthropological Research Facility in Knoxville, Tennessee, where she studied insect colonisation and development on donated human cadavers, as well as carrying out pig comparison studies and thermal imaging.  Since 2015 she has had a full-time post at the University of Winchester teaching on the BSc (Hons) Forensic Investigation.  Since 2004, Amoret has been carrying out forensic entomology casework for police forces and independent forensic providers throughout the UK.  She is a regular contributor to television documentaries, consultant for artists and authors, and an invited speaker at national and international conferences.

Molly Mactaggart
University of Winchester

At Exeter University Molly conducted her undergraduate dissertation on determining time of death of bats, using blow flies. She continued with a MSc from Harper Adams University in entomology and then a PhD in forensic entomology at Winchester University, based at the Natural History Museum in London. Molly then started and ran an entomophagy research business before taking a break from academia and entering the third sector, focusing on disaster response. Finally, after working as a detective in the Community Safeguarding Unit of London’s Metropolitan Police Service, Molly has reentered the world of academia, as a forensics lecturer at the University of Winchester.

Our online talk series is free to RES Members and Fellows.

Our Associate Membership plan is only £15 per year. This is the cost of three of these talks and the rest would be free, so save money on events and join today!

Please note, all attendees, including members, must register below to receive the link to attend the talk.