Aaron Tarone

Aaron Tarone is a Professor in the Department of Entomology at Texas A&M University and a member of Texas A&M AgriLife Research. He holds leadership roles in the NSF/NIJ-funded Center for Advanced Research in Forensic Science (CARFS). His expertise spans molecular and organismal biology of flies, forensic entomology, genomics, and decomposition ecology. He earned a BS in Genetics from UC Davis and a PhD in Zoology from Michigan State University.

Dr. Tarone's research focuses on Diptera biology, including blow flies' role in forensic science, microbial ecology, and pest control. Key projects include genomic studies on forensic-relevant insects, thermal tolerance of blow flies, and collaborations with Jeff Tomberlin on decomposition microbiology and black soldier fly research. His work has produced over 70 peer-reviewed articles in journals like Nature, Science, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

He has received recognition for co-editing Carrion Ecology, Evolution, and Their Applications, which was shortlisted for The Wildlife Society's 2018 Wildlife Publication Awards. His lab (Taronelab) develops tools for forensic entomology, including transcriptomic and proteomic approaches to age determination in insects.

Grants and collaborations include NIJ-funded projects on decomposition microbiome dynamics and blow fly thermal limits. His work intersects with ant biology, pest control, and sustainable protein production via insect farming. Dr. Tarone teaches entomology and forensic science courses, emphasizing interdisciplinary applications of insect biology.