Entomologist Hélène LeBlanc Joins Team

Professor LeBlanc has joined our team and brings extensive forensic entomology experience to Wyndham’s forensic experts.
Hélène LeBlanc, M.Sc. PhD M-ABFE is an associate professor and past Director of the Forensic Science Program at @OntarioTechUniversity and is one of only three board-certified forensic entomologists in Canada. In fact, there are only about 20 board-certified forensic entomologists in the world! With over 20 years of casework experience and outstanding contributions to research in the field, Dr. LeBlanc is a most welcome addition. 
“I am truly excited to work with the Wyndham team of experts”, Dr. LeBlanc says. “By joining Wyndham Forensic Group, investigators can access forensic entomology more easily, thereby advancing critical forensic investigations.”
Forensic entomology has a very broad definition and can encompass many different types of criminal and civil cases, but generally speaking, it is the study of insects and other arthropods associated with legal issues. Dr. LeBlanc’s casework often deals with estimating post mortem intervals (time since death) based on insect development and succession that has taken place on a cadaver. This involves aging the oldest insects on the body or establishing the colonization of insects. After death, a body goes through rapid biological, chemical and physical changes and each of these changes, as well as the habitat, season and geographic area will influence what type of insects colonize the body. Other work includes cases of neglect, establishing the presence of unsanitary conditions or food contamination. It has even possible to extract human DNA from insect pupae that fed on a missing body to confirm the victim’s identity.
The addition of entomology to Wfg’s service offering will mean that police investigators across Canada such as @RCMP-Forensic Lab Servs-Edm will have better access to entomology services and the training required to support complex cases such as homicide, missing persons, neglect and abuse cases.
Hélène supports the development of Wfg’s strategy to develop a collective of highly experienced and knowledgeable experts that are able to work collectively on the most complex forensic cases and provide education in Canada and internationally.