Bird feather fingerprints research scoops award

Bird feather fingerprints research scoops award

Abertay University research to improve forensic techniques in wildlife crime has scooped a top award from the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences.

PhD student Helen McMorris, whose research has seen new methods of taking fingerprints from the feathers of birds developed, received an award for best article published in the Society’s CSEye magazine this year.

The award was presented at the Society’s Annual Dinner at a hotel in Nottingham.

Dr Ben Jones, Head of the Division of Science at Abertay, said the accolade was a fitting tribute to the pioneering work.

He added: “This is an important area of research.

“It is very difficult to prove human involvement in cases such as raptor poisoning and this technique adds another weapon to the armoury for police investigators.”

The research was also presented to the International Society of Wildlife Forensic Science conference earlier this year.

At present, toxicological tests can prove a raptor was poisoned however there is no accurate measure of human involvement.

Abertay places importance on linking research to real world problems and has a wealth of connections between academic practitioners and ends users.

For more information on studying forensic science at Abertay visit https://www.abertay.ac.uk/discover/academic-schools/science-engineering-and-technology/divisionofscience/