Professor Turi King, Director of the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath, is known for leading the genetic investigation identifying Richard III and advising on the Mary Jane Kelly case (the last victim of Jack the Ripper). She co-presents the BBC’s DNA Family Secrets with Stacey Dooley and is the author of a new book, The Secrets of Our DNA, which takes us through some fascinating true stories  to show how DNA has solved mysteries and shapes our world today.

In this episode, she talks to Dr Güneş Taylor about Richard III; how the fate of the Romanovs was discovered through genetic research; eugenics; the study of Hitler’s DNA; and how she used David Attenborough’s DNA to study the link between the Y chromosome and the surname. Together, they explore how genetics informs every aspect of our lives, why it affects us all, and what it can – and can’t tell us about who we are.

The Story of Our DNA by Professor Turi King is available online and in bookshops now.

Dr Güneş Taylor is Group Leader at the Centre For Reproductive Health at the University of Edinburgh

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