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Turi King speaker

Turi King

Geneticist Unraveling History and Science Through DNA Discovery and Public Engagement

About

Gender: Female
Nationality: United Kingdom
Languages: English
Travels from: United Kingdom

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Biography Highlights

  • Pioneering DNA Expert: Led the identification of King Richard III, revolutionizing forensic genealogy.
  • Acclaimed Presenter: Hosts TV programs like DNA Family Secrets and collaborates with Sir David Attenborough.
  • Award-Winning Science Communicator: Recognized globally for her public science engagement, including TEDx and Royal Institution lectures.

Biography

Professor Turi King: world-leading scientist, television presenter and award-winning speaker who is passionate about communicating science to the public.

An accomplished speaker and high-profile scientist, Turi has given hundreds of talks around the world and won awards from the Genetics Society and the British Council for science communication. She’s also guest-presented the Royal Institution’s Christmas Lecture in Japan; spoken at a Congressional Breakfast on Capitol Hill; opened the Moscow Science Festival and delivered a fascinating TEDx Talk.

She first came to the attention of the world’s media when she was part of the team who discovered and identified the remains of King Richard III – a ground-breaking case described as ‘cracking one of the biggest forensic DNA cases in history’.

The hugely popular BBC series DNA Family Secrets brought Turi a new legion of die-hard fans and won her praise for her immense warmth, humanity, and empathy. She has also co-presented Ancient Mysteries Unearthed for Sky History and Curiosity channels and appeared on Channel 5’s The Black Death with Dan Snow.

Background

Turi studied Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Cambridge and completed both her Masters and her PhD at the world-famous Genetics Department within the University of Leicester. She continues to work on several high profile forensic and archaeological cases worldwide.

In 2016, Turi was appointed an honorary fellow of the British Science Association in recognition of her contribution to public engagement in science, and in 2024 she took up a new role as Director of the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath.

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Books

Turi King book

Surnames, DNA, and Family History

This book combines linguistic and historical approaches with the latest techniques of DNA analysis and shows the insights these offer for every kind of genealogical research. It focuses on British names, tracing their origins to different parts of the British Isles and Europe and revealing how names often remain concentrated in the districts where they first became established centuries ago. In the process the book casts fresh light on the ancient peopling of the British Isles. The authors consider why some names die out while others spread across the globe. They use recent advances in DNA testing to investigate whether particular surnames have single, dual, or multiple origins, and to find out if the various forms of a single name have a common origin. They show how information from DNA can be combined with historical evidence and techniques to distinguish between individuals with the same name and different names with similar spellings, and to identifty the name of the same individual or family spelt in various ways in different times and places. The final chapter of this paperback edition, looking at the use of genetics in historical research, has been updated to include new work on the DNA of Richard III.

Read more..

Surnames, DNA, and Family History

This book combines linguistic and historical approaches with the latest techniques of DNA analysis and shows the insights these offer for every kind of genealogical research. It focuses on British names, tracing their origins to different parts of the British Isles and Europe and revealing how names often remain concentrated in the districts where they first became established centuries ago. In the process the book casts fresh light on the ancient peopling of the British Isles. The authors consider why some names die out while others spread across the globe. They use recent advances in DNA testing to investigate whether particular surnames have single, dual, or multiple origins, and to find out if the various forms of a single name have a common origin. They show how information from DNA can be combined with historical evidence and techniques to distinguish between individuals with the same name and different names with similar spellings, and to identifty the name of the same individual or family spelt in various ways in different times and places. The final chapter of this paperback edition, looking at the use of genetics in historical research, has been updated to include new work on the DNA of Richard III.

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