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In episode four of our 2023 Sexual Assault Awareness Month mini season, Just Science sat down with Mark Pooley, founder of Native Search Solutions, to discuss how the challenges faced by Indigenous communities impact sexual assault investigations. In the United States, many Indigenous communities are geographically isolated, which contributes to a lack of resources such as police staffing and training, healthcare, or even access to the Internet.

In episode two of our Community-based Solutions for Substance Use Challenges season, Just Science sits down with Bill Barbour, Fatal Overdose Surveillance Program Manager at King County Medical Examiner’s Office, to discuss his team’s methods for rapid toxicology results after a suspected overdose death.

In episode one of our 2023 Sexual Assault Awareness Month mini season, Just Science sat down with Dr. Julie Valentine, a certified Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, to discuss how large-scale data collection can provide a better understanding of sexual assault cases and improve sexual assault response practices, policy, and education. Throughout her career, Dr. Valentine identified a gap in data driven practices for responding to sexual assault cases. Using her experience providing care to survivors, Dr.

In episode three of our Supporting Medicolegal Death Investigators mini season, Just Science sat down with Rebecca Reid, Laramie County Coroner in Wyoming, and Meghan Clarke, Family Advocate Coordinator at the Denver Office of the Medical Examiner, to discuss the development of new roles in MDI offices that focus on providing support to the families of decedents. On a daily basis, the staff of medical examiner and coroner offices encounter grieving families who are in need of compassion, resources, or just a listening ear.

NIJ Director Dr. Nancy La Vigne joins the show to interview Dr. Marie Garcia, Director of NIJ’s Criminal Justice Systems Division and a former NIJ graduate research fellow. They discuss the application process, Marie’s experience as a fellow while at Temple University, and advice for future applicants. 

Reading and Resources from NIJ:

In episode two of our Supporting Medicolegal Death Investigators mini season, Just Science sat down with Lindsey McNaughton, founder of the National Association for Forensic Autopsy Technicians, to discuss the importance of forensic autopsy technicians and her efforts to create more resources for this community. When someone dies unexpectedly or of unnatural causes, performing a full autopsy examination can be an extensive process that requires many steps and close attention to detail.

In episode one of our Supporting Medicolegal Death Investigators mini season, Just Science sat down with Cory Russo, Medical Examiner Investigator at the Utah State Office of the Medical Examiner, and Chelsea Brown, Senior Deputy Coroner at the Orange County Coroner's Office, to discuss how internship programs at medical examiner and coroner's offices can be a great way to pursue a career in the field. While medicolegal death investigators are often heard about in the media, the path to join this profession is often unclear.

In episode four of our Unidentified Human Remains mini season Just Science sat down with Katharine Pope, a Research Public Health Analyst at RTI International, and Elissia Conlon, a Special Advisor to the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner, to discuss mass fatality incident management and disaster victim identification. A mass fatality incident includes any incident where there are enough fatalities to require the involvement of a special operation or organization such as a natural disaster, large transportation accident, or terrorist attacks.

In episode three of our Unidentified Human Remains mini season, Just Science sat down with Mark Pooley, founder of Native Search Solutions, and Dustin Driscoll, Research Public Health Analyst at RTI International, to discuss the many barriers faced by indigenous communities when it comes to identifying missing and murdered persons.

In episode two of our 2023 Sexual Assault Awareness Month mini season, Just Science sat down with Dr. Julie Valentine, the Associate Dean of the Brigham Young University College of Nursing, to discuss the factors that contribute to low prosecution rates for sexual assault cases. In our last episode, Dr. Valentine highlighted the importance of sexual assault kit submission and DNA evidence as the groundwork for prosecution in sexual assault cases.

In episode two of our Unidentified Human Remains season, Just Science sat down with Neal Parsons, a Research Forensic Scientist at RTI International, to discuss how rapid DNA analysis has become an important method for identifying unknown human remains, especially in cases of mass fatality. Rapid DNA analysis is a fully automated process of developing DNA profiles without the need for a DNA laboratory or human interpretation.