Professor Turi King

Professor of Public Engagement and Genetics

School/Department: Genetics and Genome Biology, Department of

Profile

Turi King is Professor of Public Engagement and Genetics at the University of Leicester, based in three different areas of the University: the Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, the Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, and External Relations.

Professor King carries out a lot of media work including the BBC series DNA Family Secrets, and is best known for having led the genetic analysis in the King Richard III case.

Research

Professor King is interested in furthering interdisciplinary research, combining the field of genetics with history, archaeology, anthropology, forensics and epidemiology

Publications

Subdividing Y-chromosome haplogroup R1a1 reveals western-European-specific sub-haplogroups, including candidate 'Viking' dispersal lineages. European Journal of Human Genetics volume 29, pages512-523 (2021)

Predicting haplogroups using a versatile machine learning program (PredYMaLe) on a new mutationally well-balanced 32 Y-STR multiplex (CombYplex) (2020) Forensic Science International: Genetics. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsigen.2020.102342

Evolution of human-animal relationships on the Silk Road: the earliest remains of Felis catus L. (1758). (2020) Nature: Scientific Reports. July 9, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-67798-6

Molecular insights into an ancient form of Paget disease of bone. PNAS May 21, 116 (21) DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1820556116

Reconciling evidence from ancient and contemporary genomes: A major source for the European Neolithic within Mediterranean Europe. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, DOI:10.1098/rspb.2016.1976

Large-scale recent expansion of European patrilineages shown by population resequencing. Nature Communications, DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8152

Identification of the remains of King Richard III. Nature Communications, DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6631.

Perimortem trauma in King Richard III: a skeletal analysis. The Lancet, 17 September, 2014, DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60804-7.

Press and media

Genetics
Ancient DNA forensics
Ethics
DNA fingerprinting
Genetic genealogy
Archaeology
Genetic testing

See www.turiking.co.uk

Activities

Professor King is president of the Adelphi Genetics Forum

Awards

2020 President of the Adelphi Genetics Forum in London
2020 Member of the International Society of Forensic Geneticists
2019 Awarded the Milner Centre for Evolution Darwin Day Lecture
2019 Best practice award from International Women's Day Campaign for leading an event for IWD.
2019 Awarded the 50th Anniversary Wade Lecture for 2019, North Staffordshire Medical Institute
2019 Presented the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures in Japan
2019 Member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences
2018 Awarded the JBS Haldane Lecture by the Genetics Society
2018 Awarded the Joukowsky Lecture Series by the Archaeological Institute of America
2017 Awarded the East Midlands Women's Award for Outstanding Woman in STEM
2017 Made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology
2017 Made a Fellow of the Higher Education Authority
2017 Made a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London
2016 Awarded the Irving K Barber Lecture, Vancouver Institute, Vancouver, Canada
2016 Awarded the Queen's Lecture, founded by Queen Elizabeth II as gift to Berlin
2016 Awarded the University of Leicester President's Award
2016 Made an Honorary Fellow of the British Science Association

Qualifications

BA (Hons), University of Cambridge
MSc, University of Leicester
PhD, University of Leicester