University of Reading cookie policy

We use cookies on reading.ac.uk to improve your experience, monitor site performance and tailor content to you

Read our cookie policy to find out how to manage your cookie settings

Alejandra Perotti

Portrait of Alejandra Perotti
  • Associate Professor in Invertebrate Biology
  • Chair of the Ethics Research Committee
  • Supervisor of PhD students, UK and abroad
  • Graduate School: Reading Researcher Development Programme – RRDP for Doctoral Skills Training and Development, delivering the workshop “Decolonising Research”

Teaching

  • BI2BDFC & BI3BDFC - Biodiversity Field Course. CONVENOR and Instructor (2019)
  • BI2EI4 - Invertebrate Zoology. CONVENOR (2008-2017 / 2022-…); Instructor (2018-2019)
  • BI3EB7 - Forensic Zoology. CONVENOR and Instructor (2009-2019)
  • BI1BEA2 - Current Topics in Ecology and Zoology. Instructor
  • BI2PLA - Summer Placement. Teaching Assistant
  • BI1EZ12 - Key Skills in Ecology and Zoology. Teaching Assistant
  • BI2EWEV - Biodiversity field course. CONVENOR and Instructor (2010-2018)
  • BI3EI8 - Research Topics in Ecology. Instructor
  • BI1 - Genes and Chromosomes. Instructor (2007-2010)
  • BI2M34 - Professional Career Development. Teaching Assistant

Research centres and groups

Impact, Enterprise and Outreach

  • Expert witness: application or use of the biology of mites and lice as evidence, in the analysis/interpretation of crime scenes including neglect.
  • Development of working protocols for forensic labs to analyse micro-arthropods, particularly human lice and acarological evidence from crime scenes
  • Research and Development Responsible of APST-ENFSI (Animal Plant and Soil Traces Advisor Group of European Network of Forensic Science Institutes)
  • Consultant and reviewer for bio-control mite patents and patent disputes
  • Consultant on private cases, arthropods and human-skin related cases; consultant for pest-control: mite infestations in general, biting and sucking lice as well as allergy or house dust mites
  • Interviews, reports, letters, on forensic research, human lice, and human follicular mites through BBC NEWS, Times Education, The New York Times, The Spiegel, The Independent, BBC Radio Berkshire, Daily Mail, Metro, etc...
  • Ten consecutive years, Project provider for the Nuffield Foundation (research student bursaries, placements)
  • Member of University of Reading Working Group: Decolonising the Curriculum

Research projects

  • Funding from BBSRC; NERC; The Royal Society; The Leverhulme Trust; The Nuffield Foundation; British Council; EC/EU; MINCyT (Argentina) and Industry
  • Main research topics
    • Ectoparasitic lice and mites of primates: using Pediculus lice as proxies of hosts' evolution.
    • Ancient DNA: ectoparasites (lice and mites), and their extinct hosts.
    • Mites of medical and veterinary importance, whole organism biology and evolution.
    • Human follicular mites.
    • Forensic acarology: the utility of mites (Acari) in forensic investigations, crime case reports and research.
    • Mites of economic importance: pests and biocontrol agents. Genetics, whole organism biology; biology of interactions (e.g. predation, phoresy) between mites with other arthropods (e.g. Bumblebees) and with bacteria (e.g. symbiosis, Wolbachia).
    • Sex ratio distorters (e.g. Rickettsia, Wolbachia) and their asexual arthropod hosts.
    • Forensic acarology: the utility of mites (Acari) in forensic investigations, crime case reports and research.
    • Human lice and neglect.

Awards and honours

Esteem Factors

  • Co-opted Board member of the EURAAC (European Association of Acarologists)
  • Associate Member of APST-ENFSI (Animal Plant and Soil Traces Group-European Network of Forensic Science Institutes)
  • Former EAFE Board member (European Association of Forensic Entomologists)
  • Member of the Latin American Association of Acarologists
  • Member of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution
  • Awards and Distinctions received:
    • Friends of the University of Reading Award' (2014)
    • 'Cesar Milstein Grant' by MINCyT, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Tecnología de Argentina (2010 and 2021)
    • 'National Prize in Applied Entomology', Entomological Society of Argentina (2002)
  • Overseas External Examiner for PhDs thesis/Vivas.
  • Evaluator and referee of research projects for national and external/overseas research councils/organizations, e.g. MRC, BBSRC, NERC, NC3Rs; NSF (USA), ASF (AT), GARC (CZ), FONCYT (AR), etc..
  • Organiser of VI EAFE Congress (European Association for Forensic Entomology), Crete 2008
  • Adjunct Professor, Master in Forensic Applications, University of the Basque Country
  • Invited Keynote speaker, Plenary speaker, Session Chair organizer, and Workshop Chair and organizer in over 50 International scientific events
  • Member of the Scientific Committee of international congresses (in acarology or forensic sciences)
  • Curator of the 'Acari collection of Forensic Importance, a reference collection for case work (AFI) (Reading University)

Professional bodies/affiliations

International Collaborators: Research

  • Dr Mikkel Pedersen, The Globe Institute University of Copenhagen
  • Prof. Martin Sikora, The Globe Institute University of Copenhagen
  • Prof. Daniel Young, University of Wisconsin
  • Dr Marta Saloña Bordas, Universidad del País Vasco
  • Prof. C. Teresa Michieli, Director Instituto de Investigaciones Arqueológicas y Museo "Prof. Mariano Gambier" FFHA - Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Argentina
  • Drs. Leonardo Diaz-Nieto and Fernando Aballay, Instituto y Museo de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Argentina 
  • Prof. Edward Mitchell, Université de Neuchâtel
  • Dr Jens Amendt, Institute of Legal Medicine, Goethe University, Frankfurt
  • Dr Corina Beron, INBIOTEC - CONICET, Argentina
  • Prof. Simonetta Lambiasse, Università di Pavia
  • Dr Ibrahim Cakmak, Department of Plant Protection, University of Adnan Menderes, Aydin, Turkey
  • Dr Jürgen Deckert, Curator, Head of Insect Collection, Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin
  • Dr Didier Van den Spiegel, Head of "Biological collection and data management" unit Musée royal de l'Afrique centrale, BE
  • Dr Sergio Bermúdez, Departamento de Investigación en Entomología Médica, Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud, Panamá.
  • Prof. Valerio Scali and Dr Ombretta Mareschaldi, Università di Bologna
  • Prof. Amparo Latorre, Universitat de Valencia
  • Prof. Andres Moya, Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Genómica y Salud del Centro Superior de Investigación en Salud Pública (CSISP)-Universitat de Valencia
  • Laboratorio de Trazos Biológicos, Policía Judicial, Provincia de Córdoba, Argentina
  • Dr Yelitza Velazques, Universidad de Alicante
  • Dr Peter Mašán, Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences
  • J. Alexander Rodríguez-Arrieta, MSc., Researcher, Microscopic Structures Research Centre, Universidad de Costa Rica
  • Lic. Varinia Varela Guarda, Arqueóloga Investigadora, Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino
  • Dr Guillermo Bustelo González, Sanctuary Fundacion RAINFER, Madrid
  • Dr Rebeca Atencia, Director of the Jane Goodall Institute, Tchimpounga Sanctuary, Congo
  • Dr Sawsan al Jubori, Al- Mustansiriyia University, Baghdad, Iraq
  • Dr Martín Fugassa, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata
  • Dr David Reed, Florida Museum of natural History
  • Prof. Stefano Vanin, DISSAL, UNIGE, Italy
  • Dr Luca Mazon, Dr Isabel Martiñez-Sañudo, University of Padova, Agricenter
  • Prof. Antonella di Palma, Dipartimento delle Scienze Agrarie degli Alimenti e dell'Ambiente, University of Foggia, Italy
  • National Natural History Museum, Santiago de Chile
  • Hamburg Natural History Museum, Hamburg, Germany

National Collaborators: Research

  • Darren Mann, Oxford University
  • Dr Vince Smith, Natural History Museum
  • Dr Henk Braig, Bangor University
  • Prof. Dave Goulson, University of Sussex
  • Dr Jane Hopper, The Howletts Wild Animal Trust, Port Lympne, Kent
  • Prof. Peter Shaw, Rothamsted University, England
  • Prof. Eske Willerslev, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge
  • Natural History Museum, London

International and National Collaborations: Forensic case-work

  • Collaboration with Forensic Institutes and Scientific Police of Latin American, European (ENFSI) and South East countries.
  • Thames Valley Police, Principal SOCOs (CSIs), England
  • James Hutton Institute Scotland
  • Police Scotland

Websites/blogs

PhD Opportunities

Forensic acarology: the importance of mites in forensic investigations

Trace evidence: Locard's exchange principle using invertebrates

Selected publications

Pre 2007

Perotti, M.A., H.K. Clarke, B.D. Turner and H.R Braig. 2006. Rickettsia as obligate and mycetomic bacteria. FASEB Journal, 20:2372-2374.

Perotti, M.A. and H.R. Braig. 2005. Endosymbionts of Acari. Phytophaga, 14: 457-476.

Perotti, M.A., S.S. Catalá, A. Ormeño, M. Zelazowska, S.M. Bilinski, and H.R. Braig. 2004. The sex ratio distortion in the human head louse is conserved over time. BMC Genetics, 5:10.

Perotti, M.A. and T.L. Lysyk. 2003. A novel growth media for rearing larval horn flies, Haematobia irritans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae). Journal of Medical Entomology, 40: 22-29.

Perotti, M.A. 2001. Prey location and predation rates of predatory mites (Acari: Macrochelidae) on immature stages of pest flies (Diptera: Muscidae). Systematics & Applied Acarology, 6: 27-33.

Perotti, M.A., T. J. Lysyk., L. Kalischuk-Tymensen, L.J. Yanke, and L.B.Selinger. 2001. Growth and Survival of immature Haematobia irritans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae) is influenced by bacteria isolated from cattle manure and conspecific larvae. Journal of Medical Entomology, 38: 180-187.

Perotti, M.A. 2000. Control biológico de la mosca de los cuernos, Haematobia irritans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae) [Biological control of the horn fly, Haematobia irritans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae)] Boletin Sociedad Entomológica de Argentina. 16: 6-10.

Perotti, M.A. 2000. Acaros foréticos (Acari: Pygmephoridae) de la mosca de los cuernos Haematobia irritans (L.). Aspectos ecológicos de la interacción. [Phoretic mites (Acari: Pygmephoridae) of the horn fly, Haematobia irritans (L.). Ecology of the interaction] Revista de Medicina Veterinaria (Arg), 80: 449-452.

Perotti, M.A. P.Mariategui and C. Speicys. 2000. Predator mites of dung-breeding flies (Mesostigmata: Macrochelidae, Parasitidae) on Ontherus sulcator (F.) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Revista Sociedad Entomológica de Argentina, 59: 200-204.

Perotti, M.A. 1999. Localization of distant preys by Glyptholaspis confusa Foa (Acari: Macrochelidae). Revista Sociedad Entomológica de Argentina, 58:106-108.

Perotti, M.A. 1999. Control biologico de moscas sinantrópicas [Biological control of synanthropic flies]. Technical Bulletin. ISBN 987-9136-75-6, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata Special Editions.

Perotti, M.A. and J. A. Bachmann. 1999. First record and population ecology of the horn fly, Haematobia irritans L (Diptera: Muscidae) on cattle from Southeast of Buenos Aires province (Argentina). Research and Reviews in Parasitology,59: 47-51.

Perotti, M.A. 1998. Moscas sinantrópicas (Diptera: Muscidae y Fanniidae) en producciones avícolas del sud este bonaerense [Synantropic flies (Diptera: Muscidae y Fanniidae) associated with poultry farms in South-eastern Buenos Aires province]. Natura Neotropicalis, 29: 145-154.

Perotti, M.A. and M.A. Brasesco. 1998. First record of Pediculaster (Acari: Pygmophoridae), for Argentina, collected on the horn fly Haematobia irritans L (Diptera, Muscidae). Revista Sociedad Entomológica de Argentina, 57: 136-137.

Perotti, M.A. and N. Sardella. 1998. Sobre la presencia de la mosca hematófaga Stomoxys calcitrans (Diptera: Muscidae) en Mar del Plata: Una advertencia sanitaria. [About the occurrence of the stable fly Stomoxys calcitrans (Diptera: Muscidae) in Mar del Plata: a health hazard warning]. Revista Sociedad Entomológica de Argentina, 57: 71-72.

Perotti, M.A. and M.J.A. Brasesco. 1997. Orientación química de Macrocheles muscaedomesticae (Acari: Mesostigmata: Macrochelidae): detección de presas a distancia, huevos de Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae) y Calliphora vicina (Diptera: Calliphoridae) [Chemo-orientation of Macrocheles muscaedomesticae (Acari: Mesostigmata: Macrochelidae) and detection of distant eggs of Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae) and Calliphora vicina (Diptera: Calliphoridae)]. Revista Sociedad Entomológica de Argentina, 56: 67-70.

Perotti, M.A. 1996. Something else about the horn fly, Haematobia irritans. Annales Sociedad Rural Argentina. 129:24

Perotti, M.A. 1996. Poultry manure and associated fauna (beneficial associated organisms). Technical Monograph: Revista CAPIA Informa. 159: 15-25

Perotti, M.A. and M.J.A. Brasesco. 1996. Especificidad forética de Macrocheles muscaedomesticae (Acari: Mesostigmata: Macrochelidae) [Phoretic specificity of Macrocheles muscaedomesticae (Acari: Mesostigmata: Macrochelidae)]. Ecologia Austral, 6:3-8.

Publications

  • Perotti, . , Kirkness, . , Reed, . , Braig, . (2008) Endosymbionts of lice. In: Bourtzis, . , (eds.) Insect Symbiosis. , 3. CRC , Boca Raton, FL. pp. 205-219. ISBN: 9780849312861
  • Braig, . , Turner, . , Perotti, . (2008) Symbiotic rickettsia. In: Miller, . and Bourtzis, . , (eds.) Insect Symbiosis. , 3. CRC , Boca Raton, FL. pp. 221-249. ISBN: 9780849312861