SCOTTISH experts who were behind facial reconstruction of Richard III and a suspect in the 1752 Appin murder have been honoured with a prestigious award.
The University of Dundee's Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification [CAHID] headed by the renowned professor Sue Black was at the centre of worldwide attention last February after reconstructing the face of the former king based on his remains.
The team's expertise has been vital to a number of high profile criminal cases, including the convictions of Scotland's largest paedophile ring in 2009.
The team also recently painstakingly reconstructed the face of a man long thought responsible for the Highland murder of Colin Campbell 260 years ago.
It has now received the Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher Education, in recognition of what the award says is the team's 'world class excellence.' The Queen's Anniversary Prizes are among the most highly-regarded awards for the UK's universities and colleges.
"This is a tremendous honour and testament to the hard work of all the staff, and indeed the students, who have worked in the Centre," said Prof Black.
"Ours is a relatively short history, but in that time we have made great strides forward and the work that comes out of this Centre has significant local, national and international impact.
"We have also been fortunate to enjoy great support both from within the University and from external partners and agencies."
Professor Pete Downes, Principal and vice-chancellor of the university, said: "The range of CAHID's impact, from the face of Richard III to the victims of the Asian tsunami and to the work to help gain convictions of sex offenders, is truly amazing. The bold introduction of Thiel embalming of human bodies will revolutionise surgical training and pioneer new surgical techniques. This award is deserved recognition for Sue Black and each and every member of CAHID's staff."
CAHID can identify perpetrators from images of their hands in photographs, that have led to successful prosecution in a significant number of cases of child sexual abuse.
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