Dr. Gail Anderson, Ph.D.

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Dr. Anderson graduated from Manchester University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology. She then pursued a Masters degree and a PhD in Pest Management here at SFU. Today, Dr. Anderson is an associate professor in the Criminology department at SFU. You might be asking yourself how her degrees in Biology transfer to a professorship in criminology. The answer lies in Dr. Anderson? innovative application of her training in entomology. One of her major research interests is in forensic entomology, which is the use of insects in death investigations. Dr. Anderson is the only full-time forensic entomologist in Canada. Her work has been featured on several television programs, including "Journeys," "Forbidden Places" and "The Nature of Things".

Dr. Anderson is internationally known for her pioneering work. She actively handles forensic death cases for the BC Coroner? Service, as well as the RCMP and city police with whom she has been involved in over 130 homicide investigations. Dr. Anderson uses insects to determine the elapsed time since death ?information that is often vital to the successful resolution of murder cases. Dr. Anderson is credited with developing the world? first ?atabase on the habits of flesh-eating insects,?a tool which has been a great help to forensic scientists in pinpointing both the time and cause of death. She was also involved in establishing the only North American lab founded solely to refine the ways that insect biology can be used to help solve crimes.

In 1995, Dr. Anderson was awarded the Simon Fraser University Alumni Association Outstanding Alumni Award for Academic Achievement. In March of 2001, she was named one of six leading international innovators in the field of crime and punishment by TIME Magazine.

For more information on certification as Diplomate, ABFE, click:

Please contact Dr. Richard Merritt for more information on certification as Diplomate , American Board of Forensic Entomologists: