Dr Sophie Parsons is Head of Marine at Hawkins, a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Mineralsand Mining (IOM3). Sophie has been working in forensics for over 20 years, conducting failure investigations in criminal and civil cases in the UK and Hong Kong, which included providing expert testimony in legal proceedings.  As a materials engineer, Sophie has conducted investigations involving damage to glass, ceramic, plastic and metal components, and is particularly experienced at investigating lift and wire rope failures. On the marine side, Sophie is highly experienced in conducting investigations involving the liquefaction of metal ores and their associated laboratory testing, as well as investigating incidents involving cargo and hull damage.