Helen Roy

Helen Elizabeth Roy, MBE, FRES (born 6 November 1969) is a British ecologist, entomologist, and academic, specialising in ladybirds and non-native species. Since 2007, she has been a principal scientist and ecologist at the NERC's Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. From 1997 to 2008, she taught at Anglia Ruskin University, rising to the rank of Reader in Ecology. She is the co-organiser of the UK Ladybird Survey, alongside Dr Peter Brown, is a visiting professor in the School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, is co-chair of the IPBES assessment of invasive alien species, and is a past President of the Royal Entomological Society.^[1][2][3][4]

Professor Helen Roy MBE FRES
Helen Roy in 2024.
Born	(1969-11-06) 6 November 1969 (age 55) Plymouth, England
Citizenship	United Kingdom
Alma mater	University of Southampton University of Nottingham
Scientific career
Fields	Ecology entomology aphids non-native species science communication
Institutions	Anglia Ruskin University NERC's Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Thesis	Interactions between aphid predators and the entomopathogenic fungus Erynia neoaphidis  (1997)

Early life and education

Roy was born on 6 November 1969 in Plymouth, England.^[1] She was educated at Cowes High School, a state secondary school on the Isle of Wight.^[1] From 1989 to 1992, she studied biology at the University of Southampton, graduating with an upper-second class Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree.^[2] From 1993 to 1994, she studied environmental science at the University of Nottingham, graduating with a Master of Science (MSc) degree.^[5] She remained at Nottingham to undertake a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree, which she completed in 1997 with a doctoral thesis titled "Interactions between aphid predators and the entomopathogenic fungus Erynia neoaphidis".^[6]

Honours

Roy was awarded the 2012 Silver Medal by the Zoological Society of London "for contributions to the scientific understanding of ladybird ecology and conservation".^[7] In the 2018 New Year Honours, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) "for services to biodiversity research, science communication and citizen science".^[8] In 2020 she was awarded the British Ecological Society's Ecological Engagement Award for her work in citizen science and public engagement.^[9]

Selected works

• Roy, Helen E.; Wajnberg, Eric, eds. (2008). From biological control to invasion : the ladybird harmonia axyridis as a model species. Springer. ISBN 978-1402069383.
• Majerus, Michael (2016). Roy, Helen; Brown, Peter (eds.). A natural history of ladybird beetles. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1107116078.
• Roy, Helen; Brown, Peter (2018). Field Guide to the Ladybirds of Great Britain and Ireland. London: Bloomsbury Wildlife. ISBN 978-1472935687.