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<\/figure>Professor Edda Guareschi <\/strong>is a forensic anthropologist whose research focuses on advancing methods to identify human remains in aquatic environments. Guareschi received her Master of Medicine and Surgery in 1988 and her Master of Science later in 2004. Currently, she conducts research for Murdoch University at the Western Australia Shipwrecks Museum, studying bones that have been submerged at sea for centuries. She studies the environment\u2019s effects on the bones over its submerged period of time.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n Edda Guarschi is a well rounded researcher, and has helped the field in a variety of ways. By being a forensic anthropologist, she is able to contribute to the field by finding one-celled organisms in bones to solve mysteries and give advocacy to unsolved murders. In her research surrounding sea creatures in century-old bones in Western Australian shipwrecks, she found sea creatures embedded in bones and teeth of pig, cow, and sheep that date back to 1629. This finding can help determine where the bodies have gone in the water, and even how the person died. She dedicates her time to forensics because she aspires for people to live free of fear of crimes that are not solved, and bring awareness and social justice in these crimes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Her book Forensic Pathology Case Studies <\/em>presents case studies over the course of her career as a forensic anthropologist and pathologist. Similar to her other works of solving mysteries and unsolved murders, she writes more about her findings in the book. In the sixth chapter, she writes about the murder of an older Italian woman whose case was reopened due to error by an in-experienced expert witness in the original case. This later led to a reassessment of the skeletal remains. The group of forensic anthropologists and pathologists were able to determine that the woman was previously abused before the homicide by using bone trauma analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Guareschi dedicating her time to create a book showcases her role in bringing awareness to unsolved crimes and the important role forensic anthropologist and pathologist play when solving crime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Part of her passion for her forensic anthropological work and creating resources for forensic teams to be able to effectively analyze human remains is an argument to establish research facilities in \u201cdead zones\u201d. Along with her colleagues she highlights regions like the Indo-Pacific where investigation teams do not have reliable information for the environments they are working with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Articles co-authored by Edda Guareschi:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2024 Magnti P, Carma I, Borjas L, D\u00edaz F, Villarroel M, Guareschi E. \u201cMultidisciplinary analyses of partial human remains discovered in the Caribbean Sea (Venezuela).\u201d<\/strong> Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences <\/em>56(sup 1):101-104<\/p>\n\n\n\n This article discusses work done by Guareschi in collaboration with her colleagues and Servicio Nacional de Medicina y Ciencias Forenses (SENAMECF) of Venezuela after local fishermen discovered human remains. While local forensics worked directly with evidence, the team at Murdoch University looked at barnacles and remnants of soft tissue to help determine post mortem interval (PMI) and post mortem submersion interval (PMSI) which they found to be five to six months. With this information they were able to find a relative and identify the body. The conclusion highlights the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to create and find better solutions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 2024 Kumar Y, Jhapte B, Guareschi E, Magni P. \u201cHuman decomposition in the unique context of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (India): a comparative analysis with reference data.\u201d <\/strong>Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences <\/em>56(sup 1):105-114<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here Guareschi and her co-authors analyze the way bodies in the Andaman and Nicobar islands decompose, and the differences in their decomposition compared to that of standard literature. Highlighting the differences they argue the need for an anthropological research facility in the Indo-Pacific region to better understand body decomposition in these areas for forensic application. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 2024 Guareschi E, Pember L, Magni P. \u201cThe degradation of collagen in submerged<\/strong> bones, analysed by ImageJ\u00ae and Orbit\u00ae, for the estimation of the post-mortem interval (PMI) and the post-mortem submersion interval (PMSI).\u201d <\/strong>Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences <\/em>56:55-57<\/p>\n\n\n\n A study over a two year period of how submersion in water affects the degradation of collagen in mammalian bones. Through the use of observers and open source technology they attempted to create a system by which forensic scientists can easily identify post mortem interval (PMI) and post mortem submersion interval (PMSI) without any expertise in the area. This would help to bring greater resources surrounding estimation PMI and PMSI to areas without forensic anthropologists specializing in underwater studies and promote collaboration across barriers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 2023 Guareschi E, Magni P, Berry H. \u201cPotential issues in the conservation of bone and teeth in maritime archaeology.\u201d <\/strong>Heritage <\/em>6:779-788<\/p>\n\n\n\n This article focuses on methods of conservation, cleaning, and consolidation performed on artifacts of bone and teeth found specifically in a maritime archaeological context. As one of the co-authors, Guareschi helps to highlight the change in results that certain methods of conservation, such as the cleaning of iron stains, can affect the results of tests run on these artifacts. Together they argue for the importance of keeping a specific record of all procedures done and not done on the artifacts, which is not a standard practice historically. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Guarsechi\u2019s mission to achieve social justice through identifying causes of death of the deceased within her field of aquatic archeology aligned with our interests. Our group was excited to explore the field of aquatic archeology and found Guarsechi\u2019s interdisciplinary focus in forensic anthropology especially intriguing. Our members of the group are passionate about the mission of social justice and the reclamation of history in the field of archaeology. We found that Guarsechi\u2019s goals in providing closure to murder victims and accounting for lost history aligned with this passion of ours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n She\u2019s a well rounded forensic anthropologist that ties in a variety of fields into her research; not only anthropology and forensics, but also pathology, maritime archeology, and entomology. We have not been able to go further in depth into an archeologist that has been involved in forensics. Therefore, it was interesting to us to research and learn about a different area of expertise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Coastal Job: Shipwreck Forensic Analyst<\/em>, edited by Vanessa Minke-Martin and Guareschi, Edda, 2023 photograph. Hakai Magazine <\/em>. January 5. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Grace Netti, Doraliz Perez, Irene Ham, Aranza Torres Professor Edda Guareschi is a forensic anthropologist whose research focuses on advancing methods to identify human remains…<\/p>\nWhat makes Guareschi a Trowelblazer?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Does her work fit into any particular topics\/readings\/webinars from this course?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Why did we choose this trowelblazer?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Photo Credits:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n