Prof Margaret Cox

Margaret Cox is currently Scientific Advisor to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. She was formerly Professor of Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology at Cranfield University and previously at Bournemouth University where she developed and directed their internationally acclaimed post-graduate educational provision in these subjects.

An archaeologist specialising in the analysis of human skeletal remains, particularly from post-medieval contexts, she migrated from traditional archaeology into forensic applications in the early 1990s. She advises UK police forces in the investigation of serious crime through the Forensic Search Advisory Group and the National Crime Faculty.

She worked in Kosovo in 1999, Rwanda in 2003-4, Iraq in 2003 and Cyprus in 2004-5. Committed to teaching forensic sciences for capacity building and empowerment in post conflict regions, she designed the training programmes Inforce delivered for Iraq in 2004-5. Consultant Forensic Anthropologist for the Ministry of Defence since 2000, she examines the remains of British military personnel recovered around the world, though predominantly Europe, from twentieth century conflicts. She has published extensively on both archaeological and radio programmes and documentaries. 

Committed to human rights and humanitarian work in its broadest context, she became increasingly concerned about mass murder in the context of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity following her work in Kosovo. Founder and Chief Executive of Inforce, she is on the advisory boards of the Leo Kuper Foundation and Genocide Watch. She is committed to enhancing investigative procedures in order to contribute to the prevention of genocide and to adopting a Rights based approach to forensic investigations where possible. Professor Cox was awarded the prestigious European Woman of Achievement Award (Humanitarian section) in 2002 in recognition of her work for the MoD and in establishing Inforce.