Peter Gunn

Biography

Peter Gunn is the Associate Professor of Forensic Biology at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), where he is also a Co-director of the Centre for Forensic Science. Associate Professor Gunn gained his PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Adelaide in 1982, specialising in the manipulation and analysis of bacterial DNA. After several years in academia and business, he was appointed the Technical Director of Genetic Technologies Corporation Pty Ltd, the first company in Australia to provide human DNA testing for criminal and civil matters. In 1992, Associate Professor Gunn was Managing Director of Silbase Scientific Services Pty Ltd., which specialised in paternity and criminal DNA testing. He has also managed the Department of Molecular Biology at Douglass Hanly Moir Pathology, where he was responsible for establishing laboratory testing for several inherited and infectious diseases using DNA technology. Prior to joining UTS in 2012, Associate Professor Gunn was the Senior Operations Manager of the Forensic Biology Section of the Forensic Science Services Branch at the NSW Police Force. The Forensic Biology Section was formed to provide the Forensic Service Group with specialist biological examinations and advice that are not available elsewhere in NSW. During Associate Professor Gunn’s tenure, the section conducted examinations on approximately 5,000 items from crimes ranging from break and enter, through to multiple homicides. Associate Professor Gunn’s area of expertise includes DNA, DNA profiling, forensic biology, criminal, disaster victim identification (DVI), genetics, paternity, kinship and parental DNA.

Research Interest

Massively parallel sequencing Forensic applications of molecular biology Identification of huamn and non-human remains & body fluids