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Amy Turner

Graduate Teaching Assistant

Amy Turner

Profile

Biography

Amy graduated with first class honours in BSc (Hons) Genetics from Edge Hill University in 2020. Her dissertation focused on haplotype characterisation of the ectoparasite, Varroa destructor in the UK, a vector of disease in honeybees.

Alongside her degree, Amy has volunteered with The Bee Centre, Chorley as an ethical beekeeper and mentor. She supports pollinator conservation, biodiversity and training as well as providing interactive and biology led talks to centre visitors, schools, and outside organisations.

She was awarded Edge Hill University High Achievers Scholarship, Excellence Scholarship, University Scholarship and Careers Volunteer of the Year award in 2019. She has also been awarded two DEFRA Green Flag ‘Bees Needs’ awards (2018 & 2019) for raising pollinator profiles within the University and installing beehives on campus.

During her degree, Amy completed a six week ERASMUS traineeship at Trinity College Dublin as a member of the European PoshBee project fieldwork team. She utilised her undergraduate training and beekeeping skills in a live scientific fieldwork environment whilst learning novel eusocial insect handling techniques and advanced, pollinator specific site data management.

In January 2021, Amy re-joined the department as an MRes student and Associate tutor. Her research focuses on population genetics of isolated Formica rufa, (Red Wood Ant) colonies at their most northern distribution within Silverdale, Lancashire.

Research Interests

  • Genetic variation of isolated Formica rufa populations at their most northern distribution, Silverdale, Lancashire compared to populations in Central and Southern areas of the UK.
    Frequency in production of homozygous diploid males within northern F. rufa populations.

Teaching

  • Associate tutor
  • Field to Fork – Module lead & co-ordinator
  • Current Issues
  • Genetics & Evolution – Assistant tutor