Rate My Professor Christine Picard

Christine Picard, Ph.D., is a Professor of Biology in the Department of Biology, School of Science, at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. She earned a B.S. in Biology and Chemistry from the University of New Brunswick in 2000, an M.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Toronto in 2002, and a Ph.D. in Biology from West Virginia University in 2010. Prior to her doctoral studies, she worked for three years as a medicinal chemist at a start-up company synthesizing novel antimicrobial agents. Following her Ph.D., she completed a one-year postdoctoral position in the Entomology Department at Texas A&M University. Picard joined the IUPUI faculty in 2011 and has progressed to full professor. She currently serves as Director of the Forensic and Investigative Sciences Program, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education in the School of Science, and Co-Director of the NSF Center for Environmental Sustainability Through Insect Farming.

Picard's research centers on genotype-phenotype correlations in insects, with a focus on forensically relevant species such as blow flies to improve postmortem interval estimations and on insects as sustainable protein sources for human food and animal feed. Her lab integrates traditional genetics, bioinformatics, and whole-genome sequencing to identify genetic variations linked to traits like development rate. She received the 2020 Research Frontiers Trailblazer Award, recognizing her potential for national and international prominence in research. Key publications include 'The genomes of a monogenic fly: Views of primitive sex chromosomes' (Scientific Reports, 2020), 'Blow fly stable isotopes reveal larval diet: a case study in community level anthropogenic effects' (PLoS One, 2021), 'Global population genetic structure and demographic trajectories of the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens' (BMC Biology, 2021), 'Genome sequence of Phormia regina: Implications for medical, veterinary and forensic research' (BMC Genomics, 2016), and 'Ubiquity of polystyrene digestion and biodegradation within yellow mealworms' (Chemosphere, 2018). Picard's work has produced multiple insect genomes, advancing forensic entomology, environmental bioindication, and insect-based agriculture.