By: Ariele Purves, SFU Student

A kind, passionate, and exceptional individual, professor Dr. Gail Anderson of the SFU School of Criminology will soon receive the highest honour given by the province. According to BC Gov News, “twelve people who exemplify excellence will be invested into the Order of British Columbia” on September 24, 2026. 

Anderson is being awarded “for her foundational work establishing forensic entomology in Canada, transforming criminal investigations, and advancing justice through innovative research and global leadership.” Forensic entomology, specifically the medico-legal branch Anderson specializes in, concerns itself with the study of insects on corpses to establish time of death. It’s a relatively uncommon profession. Anderson hopes interest in the field grows, as there are 22 board-certified forensic entomologists in the world, and only three in Canada.

“I’m an entomologist. I don’t like the dead body. But I am interested in the insect.”

— Dr. Gail Anderson, co-director, Centre for Forensic Research and professor, SFU School of Criminology

I spoke with Anderson to find out more. Forensic entomologists are called to crime scenes to examine the insects colonizing a corpse. Anderson calls herself “a very squeamish person,” so I ask how she deals with the things she sees. Her answer: “I’m an entomologist. I don’t like the dead body. But I am interested in the insect.” When bringing students to crime scenes, she allows them to take it at their own pace, and finds that “the science of it takes over the grossness.” 

As a child, Anderson was always interested in biology. “When you study insects, you can almost study anything,” she says, mentioning genetic studies and medicine as examples. “I did a lot of entomology in my undergrad, and I really enjoyed it, but I really wanted to do something that was useful — not just science for the sake of science.” She became interested in studying insect-caused diseases in humans and animals (known as medical and veterinary entomology).

Originally from England, Anderson “fell in love with Canada” during a gap year in BC. After finishing her undergrad, she was looking for a way to come back when she stumbled upon the master of pest management at SFU. From then into her PhD, Anderson studied an insect-caused disease in horses and even discovered a cure, but the impact was negligible. “It’s not the kind of disease that usually affects very rich horses,” she explains. “It’s your pet horse in the backyard, and unfortunately the pharmaceutical companies didn’t see any money in that.”

One of her PhD biology supervisors was Dr. John Borden, a forestry entomologist. Anderson paints him as a driving force in establishing SFU’s role in forensic entomology, while not doing it himself, through networking and encouraging people into related positions. Despite listing the job nationwide, it was a challenge to find someone to take on the criminal cases of the time. Knowing Anderson wanted to become a citizen, Border told her, “You need a job no Canadian can do.” She was just starting grad school and it naturally aligned with her expertise. But Anderson wasn’t sure.

“I said, ‘Oh, that sounds really gross [ . . . ] I’ve never even seen a dead person,’” she recalled. “I thought about it and said, ‘Well, what really have I got to lose?’ And so I went back and said, ‘I’ll give it a year.’” Four years later, she became Canada’s first full-time forensic entomologist. 

Since beginning work in the field in 1988, Anderson has consulted for many criminal cases, including those concerning wildlife and animals. She finds it both fascinating and valuable. For instance, her work permits retroactive evaluation of incarcerations. In 2018, Anderson’s testimony overturned the wrongful imprisonment of Kirstin Blaise Lobato, who had spent 16 years in prison on a false murder charge. She pointed out that because there were no insects found on the victim’s body, he couldn’t have died during the day. Blowflies are active until dark and would’ve been found at the scene of the crime. Lobato had an “unshakeable alibi” for after dark that day, and was exonerated in 2018.

For justice to be carried out, Anderson believes it is crucial to question science. She empowers her students to ask what is needed to prevent miscarriages of justice. She wants to show them that incoherences in court need to be examined and if they have any questions, that “they have enough knowledge to ask,” especially as many students go on to pursue careers in law or law enforcement. 

Anderson has learned to reframe how she views dead bodies, as a potential for closure and judicial action. As a young PhD student, Anderson feared that 3-year-old Casey Rose Bohun, who disappeared in 1989, would be her first case. “I kept thinking [ . . . ] that’s going to destroy me,” she reflects. “Little Casey Rose has never been found. And there’s me selfishly thinking, ‘I don’t want it to be my first case.’ But if it had been my first case, at least we’d have found her and her family would have known.”

Out of all her accomplishments, Anderson highlights her students as her greatest success: “I look at my wonderful mentors [ . . . ] and I look at the great web of people that they influenced, and that is the greatest achievement I think you can have.” She names the late Dr. Thelma Finlayson as her most impactful influence. Finlayson began working as an entomologist for the Canadian government in the 1930s and was the first woman hired in biology at SFU in 1967. After retirement, she volunteered in academic advising until the age of 95. In 2005, Finlayson received the Order of Canada. Anderson remembers her as an “amazing, amazing lady.” 

In 2001, Time Magazine listed Anderson as a top global innovator in criminal justice. Other accolades include the Derome Award for Canadian Forensic Science and several others, but she stated that receiving the Order of BC is particularly special. “To be honoured by my province, my country, it really is quite emotional [ . . . ] I’m so proud and so pleased,” she says.

Anderson considers her position in academia “a perfect life” for her job, as the university supports her spending time in service, alongside teaching and research. Her lab is well-known for their outreach. From Science World activities to open houses to school talks, they get kids excited about what they do. She lights up when talking about these interactions.

“We’re just trying to suck the kids in to see: Isn’t this cool? Isn’t this exciting? Forensic science is cool,” she says. “I’ve had questions from parents saying, ‘I’m so sorry, I do apologize, but he kind of likes bugs.’ Yes, great! Excellent! He’s got a wonderful career ahead of him.”