Affiliation: University of Chester

Dr. Virginia Harvey is a Lecturer in Zoology at the University of Chester (UK). Her current research focuses on developing protein analyses in identifying and tracing animal products. She is particularly passionate about using these molecular tools in wildlife crime and forensics, food fraud, and invasive species monitoring. She has worked as a postdoctoral researcher at The University of York, specializing in ancient biomolecule extraction and analysis from archaeological artifacts. Here, she explored protein extraction and analysis techniques to find methods of minimizing sample destruction while maximizing protein yield. Before this, she completed an MPhil in Biomolecular Archaeology and a PhD in Earth Science at the University of Manchester, where her research addressed the use of biomolecular methods on archaeological bone remains in studying human impacts on biodiversity through time, focussing on both terrestrial and aquatic species. Her PhD thesis is entitled: "Collagen Type 1: Sequence evolution, species identification, and unlocking past trends in marine biodiversity."