Turi King

Turi King is a scientist, presenter, speaker and author who is passionate about communicating science to the public.

She uses genetics in the fields of forensics, history and archaeology, and has worked in the field of genetic genealogy since 2000. She is perhaps best known for her work "cracking one of the biggest forensic DNA cases in history" (Globe and Mail, February 2013), leading the genetic analysis for the identification of King Richard III.

She started her career in archaeology, first in Canada and later reading for a degree in Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Cambridge. Graduating with a BA (Hons), she then went to study at the Genetics Department at the University of Leicester on a scholarship, to read for an MSc in Molecular Genetics.

She went on to study for a PhD in Molecular Genetics on genetic genealogy. Her award-winning PhD examined the relationship between the Y chromosome and British surnames, combining forensic DNA techniques with history and genealogy, in the first large-scale study of its kind. Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys, who invented DNA fingerprinting, was one of her PhD advisors. Named as one of the world's "rockstar genealogists," her work since has covered not only family history but the use of genetic genealogy in forensic and historical cases.

She is working on a number of forensic and ancient cold cases, and has been conducting genetic genealogical research for over 25 years. She featured as the lead genetic genealogist in BBC 2/Minnow Films' DNA Family Secrets. More recently, she hosted the podcast series Head Number 7 for Audio Always/Wonder, and narrated and served as genetic genealogist for Orphan Smith for BBC Studios/Audible, which was named one of Audible's Best Podcasts of 2025.

Turi is Director of the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath, and carries out a great deal of media, television and public speaking work. 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 Genetics.