Virginia Harvey

Dr Virginia Harvey is a Senior Lecturer in Zoology at the University of Chester's School of Natural Sciences, within the Faculty of Science, Business and Enterprise. Her research focuses on biomolecular methods—particularly protein and DNA analysis—to study human impacts on biodiversity, wildlife forensics, and archaeological ecosystems. She specializes in collagen fingerprinting (ZooMS) for species identification in archaeological remains, with applications to fisheries, food fraud, and conservation.

Education:

• BSc Zoology with Marine Zoology, University of Wales, Bangor (exact dates not specified)
• MPhil and PhD in Biomolecular Archaeology, University of Manchester (2015–2021)

Research Highlights:

• Development of ZooMS for taxonomic identification in fish bones and archaeological artifacts
• Applications in wildlife crime, food fraud detection, and invasive species monitoring
• Studies on collagen preservation in tropical and temperate environments

Teaching & Supervision: Teaches genetics, evolution, and wildlife crime at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Supervises MSc/MPhil/PhD students in biomolecular analysis, conservation genetics, and forensic applications.

Professional Activities:

• Peer reviewer for journals including Nature Ecology and Evolution, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
• Member of the University's Sustainability and Environment Research Institute