Rate My Professor Christine Picard

Christine J. Picard, Ph.D., serves as Professor of Biology and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education in the School of Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. She is affiliated with the Department of Biology, Dean's Office, and Forensic and Investigative Sciences, and directs the Forensic and Investigative Sciences program. Picard obtained her Ph.D. in Biology from West Virginia University in 2010, M.Sc. in Chemistry with an emphasis in organic synthesis from the University of Toronto in 2002, and B.Sc. in Biology and Chemistry from the University of New Brunswick in 2000. Following her master's degree, she worked for three years as a medicinal chemist at a small start-up company, synthesizing novel antimicrobial agents. After her Ph.D., she completed a one-year postdoctoral position in the Entomology Department at Texas A&M University, initiating a selection experiment in blow flies to examine genetic contributions to development rate variation. She joined the IUPUI faculty in Biology in 2011, advancing to full professor and assuming her current administrative role.

Picard's research centers on the population genetics and genomics of forensically important insects, leveraging high-throughput sequencing to elucidate genetic controls and natural variation in carrion insect phenotypes such as development time. Her lab explores blow fly species including Cochliomyia macellaria, Phormia regina, Chrysomya rufifacies, Lucilia cuprina, and Lucilia sericata to refine minimum postmortem interval estimates in forensic entomology. Additional investigations include blow flies as remote sensors for environmental monitoring of ecosystem conditions, animal abundance, diversity, and chemistry; insects as sustainable protein sources for human food and animal feed using genetic tools; and AI-driven automated insect species identification integrating morphology, dichotomous keys, and DNA data. She co-established the Center for Environmental Sustainability through Insect Farming, supported by the National Science Foundation and industry partners. Key publications include the book chapters “Population genetics and molecular evolution of carrion-associated arthropods” (2015, in Carrion Ecology, Evolution and Their Applications) and “Molecular biology in forensic entomology” (2015, in International Dimensions and Frontiers in Forensic Entomology). Picard received the 2020 Research Frontiers Trailblazer Award for her promising research trajectory. Her contributions advance forensic science precision and sustainable protein production, with active student mentoring across levels and community engagement through events like Celebrate Science Indiana.