Helen Roy


Helen Elizabeth Roy, is a British ecologist, entomologist, and academic, specialising in aphids and non-native species. Since 2007, she has been a principal scientist and ecologist at the NERC's Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. From 1997 to 2008, she taught at Anglia Ruskin University, rising to the rank of Reader in Ecology. She is the co-organiser of the UK Ladybird Survey, alongside Dr Peter Brown, is a visiting professor in the School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading and is current President of the Royal Entomological Society.

Early life and education

Roy was born on 6 November 1969 in Plymouth, England. She was educated at Cowes High School, a state secondary school on the Isle of Wight. From 1989 to 1992, she studied biology at the University of Southampton, graduating with an upper-second class Bachelor of Science degree. From 1993 to 1994, she studied environmental science at the University of Nottingham, graduating with a Master of Science degree. She remained at Nottingham to undertake a Doctor of Philosophy degree, which she completed in 1997 with a doctoral thesis titled "Interactions between aphid predators and the entomopathogenic fungus Erynia neoaphidis".

Honours

Roy was awarded the 2012 Silver Medal by the Zoological Society of London "for contributions to the scientific understanding of ladybird ecology and conservation". In the 2018 New Year Honours, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire "for services to biodiversity research, science communication and citizen science".

Selected works

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