Contact Dr Hannah Moore
- Tel: +44 (0) 1234 988466
- Email: H.E.Moore@cranfield.ac.uk
Background
Hannah completed her dual honours degree in Chemistry and Forensic Science followed by her PhD in Analytical Chemistry applied to Forensic Entomology at Keele University. Hannah then spent a few years in industry specialising in Mass Spectrometry before starting at Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é in 2016.
Hannah's research interests lie heavily within the field of forensic entomology, specialising in cuticular hydrocarbons of forensically important insect species. Her multidisciplinary approach combines analytical chemistry, statistical analysis and artificial intelligence to provides a revolutionary way to identify and age insects. Hannah is highly research active as well as being one of only two operational forensic entomologists in the UK. Hannah regularly attends high-profile homicides, disasters such as Grenfell Tower and court as an Expert Witness.
Hannah is an experienced Senior Lecturer within the Cranfield Forensic Institute but also delivers vital training outputs for the UK police forces in forensic entomology scene collection. Hannah is also a Scientific Board Member of the European Association of Forensic Entomology.
Research opportunities
Hannah is open to hear from researchers in the field of (forensic) entomology, taxonomy, taphonomy and artificial intelligence as well as law enforcement for collaborative research projects.
Hannah is currently a guest editor of a special issue in the journal Insects: 'Advanced Techniques in Forensic Entomology'.
Current activities
Hannah's research interests lie heavily within the field of forensic entomology, specialising in cuticular hydrocarbons of forensically important insect species. The extracted hydrocarbons are analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and the data from the chromatogram can then be subjected to statistical analysis in the form of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) or Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). The chemical profiles of the insects allow for identification (as all insects have a 'fingerprint', species-specific hydrocarbon profile) as well as the age, enabling minimum Post Mortem Intervals (PMImin) to be calculated.
Hannah is also expanding this identification technique into conservation projects working closely with museums to tackle the current issue of insect decline due to climate change and land use.
Hannah is the Director of the Forensic Programme and the Course Director for the Forensic Investigation MSc.
Hannah is a reporting forensic entomologist which enables her teaching to be research and operationally led. She also attends court as an expert witness.
Clients
Hannah has numerous academic and industrial collaborations and partnerships from commercial collaborators such as The Forensic Training Partnership, Forensic Access, UK Police Forces, Spectrometric, JEOL to HEI e.g. Keele University, Frankfurt University, Texas A&M, University of Michigan as well at the Natural History Museum, London and the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.
