Turi King

Canadian Turi started as an archaeologist, studying Archaeology and Anthropology at Cambridge, then switched to Genetics when she came to Leicester as a postgraduate. She studied for a Masters in the Department of Genetics and then for a PhD, Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys being on her PhD panel. This unusual combination of specialised knowledge came to the fore when Turi was part of the team who studied the remains of King Richard III, discovered under a Leicester car park in 2012. The media interest in the ‘King in a car park’ thrust Turi further into the public spotlight where she rapidly became an outstanding ambassador for the University of Leicester.

Turi is now Professor of Public Engagement and Genetics, promoting the University of Leicester and higher education, especially in STEM subjects. She is an Honorary Fellow of the British Science Association, a Fellow of the Society of Biology, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, a Member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences and a Member of the International Society of Forensic Geneticists.

Turi has received critical acclaim for her work on radio and television, including the successful BBC 2 series DNA Family Secrets. She has also written several well-received books and is working on other projects, continually inspiring new generations of students, academics and researchers in genetics, archaeology and many other fields.