Serkan Aktay is a Lecturer in Forensic Science in the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences at Bournemouth University.

Prior to his academic career, Aktay spent over two decades working at the Turkish National Forensic Department from 1999 to 2022. He began his career as a criminal investigator, later transitioning to the role of crime scene investigator in 2005. However, his passion for forensic identification led him to specialise in fingerprint and latent print analysis, and he worked as an expert in forensic laboratories. Before transitioning to academia, he also served as a supervisor and trainer, mentoring and guiding the next generation of forensic scientists in the forensic department.

Aktay is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He holds an MSc in Forensic Science and he is currently pursuing his PhD studies in the same field with a focus on Forensic Identification and Latent Print Analysis. His research seeks to push the boundaries of forensic science, improving methodologies, and introducing innovative approaches to traditional forensic identification techniques.