Turi King

Turi Emma King (born 1969) is a Canadian-British Professor of Public Engagement and Genetics at the University of Leicester. She is best known for her work in "cracking one of the biggest forensic DNA cases in history" during the exhumation and reburial of Richard III of England. She is also known for featuring with Stacey Dooley on DNA Family Secrets on BBC Two which has been recommissioned for a second series.
Education and early life.
King was born in Nottingham, England. She moved to Canada at an early age and was brought up in Vancouver, British Columbia. She studied at the University of British Columbia and worked on archaeological sites in Canada, Greece, and England, before moving to the University of Cambridge to read Archaeology and Anthropology. There she was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree. She won a scholarship to study for a Master of Science degree in Molecular Genetics at the University of Leicester, gaining a First with Distinction. In 2000, she started her doctoral research as a Wellcome Trust Prize Student at the University of Leicester, specializing "in tracing migration patterns by using genetics."
Her award-winning thesis on the relationship between British surnames and Y-chromosomal haplotypes was published in 2007, and eventually formed the basis of the book "Surnames, DNA and Family History", which she co-authored with David Hey and George Redmonds.
Career and research.
King's research initially centred around genetics, genetic genealogy, and surnames, and using aspects of human DNA such as the Y chromosome to track past human migrations. Her work has included tracing "the signal of the Viking migration to the north of England", resulting in her appearance in Michael Wood's "" on BBC Two, and in "Michael Wood's Story of England". Her research themes involve combinations of molecular genetics with history, forensics, archaeology, geography, and genetic genealogy.
It was this background that made her ideally placed to lead the genetic analysis involved during the exhumation and reburial of Richard III of England, confirming the identity of remains discovered underneath a Leicester car park through the use of descendant DNA.
Public Speaking and Consultancy.
As Professor of Public Engagement, King regularly undertakes public speaking at universities, schools and public events such as the Cheltenham Science Festival, the Moscow Science Festival, a Congressional Breakfast on Capitol Hill, the Galway Science and Technology Festival, and the in Berlin. She guest-presented the Royal Institution's Christmas Lectures in Japan in 2019 stepping in for Alice Roberts.
She advises on numerous television programmes and provides genetic expertise to authors such as Patricia Cornwell, Philippe Sands, Edward Glover, and David McKie.
King has also appeared in a number of television and radio documentaries as an expert in genetic genealogy, forensics, and/or ancient DNA.
TV, video and radio appearances.
BBC DNA Family Secrets.
DNA Family Secrets is a television series which began airing on BBC Two in March, 2021. Presented by Stacey Dooley and Professor Turi King it uses the latest DNA technology to solve family mysteries around ancestry, missing relatives and genetic disease. It is made by the production company Minnow Films and has been renewed for a second series.
The series has received good reviews both from inside the scientific community and from the general public. Elpida Fragouli writing for BioNews wrote "The concept of DNA Family Secrets is unusual, and one would argue educational for the general public. Professor King, an expert in determining genealogy through DNA testing, is a good communicator and demonstrates true empathy towards the individuals that sit down with her."
Stuart Jeffries of "The Guardian" praised the series called it “a touching, timely portrait of mixed-race Britain” saying the “show doesn’t need celebrities to gild it’s drama.”
Sara Wallis of The Mirror gave it a positive review writing that “it makes for gripping TV”, “emotional, with fascinating DNA facts” with results delivered by King with “wonderful empathy”.
Paul Whitelaw of The Courier calls is a “poignant genealogy series” before going on to say “Dooley is good choice of host, she’s likeable and empathetic but the star of the show is Professor Turi King, who explains the science and gently guides the contributors through the entire process. She radiates kindness."
Current projects.
The following is a list of projects King is either heading or has been involved with:
Awards and honours.
In 2016, King was appointed an honorary fellow of the British Science Association in recognition of her contribution to public engagement in science. She gave the J. B. S. Haldane prize lecture of The Genetics Society in 2018, at the Royal Institution, London. She is the current president of the Galton Institute as of the Summer of 2020 as announced in the Galton Review.
Personal life.
King is married with four children. It can be assumed that she has a good relationship with her father, as she relayed a secret message to him during the 2013 press conference announcing the findings concerning Richard III's remains; though sworn to secrecy by the University on the findings until the announcement, when she went onstage, King wore "a particular strand of pearls" to let her father watching from Vancouver immediately know that the DNA had been a match.
See also.
Turi King's website