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Forensic sciences

Census and Surveillance Efforts in the Medicolegal Death Investigation System

July 2018

Census and Surveillance Efforts: Insight into the U.S. Medicolegal Death Investigation System Presenters: Dr. Jeri Ropero-Miller & Dr. Hope Smiley-McDonald In 2015, nearly 2.5 million people died in the United States. Of these, about one million were referred to the nation’s medical examiner and coroner offices (MECs), which accepted about half of these cases. MEC caseloads are at all-time high because many of these deaths require a complex, in-depth investigation.

Update on Legalized Marijuana from the Mile High City

July 2018

Update on Legalized Marijuana from the Mile High City Presenter: Dr. James Caruso In 2012, the state of Colorado passed amendment 62, which allowed the possession, recreational use, production, distribution, and personal cultivation of marijuana. Since then, other states have also legalized marijuana for medical and recreational uses. This session covers the history, “discovery,” criminalization, and legalization of marijuana in Colorado and other states.

Ethics & Report Writing in Medicolegal Death Investigations

July 2018

Ethics & Report Writing Presenter: Mr. Paul Parker There are currently many resources that explore ethics within law enforcement, but there is a lack of resources on ethics within the field of medicolegal death investigation (MDI). MDI personnel are placed in a position of public trust, and it is necessary that there is a focus on the ethics, character, and behavior of MDI personnel. This session discusses professional ethics, ethical and unethical behaviors, and fostering and maintaining professional integrity.

Death Scene Investigations: Roles & Responsibilities

July 2018

Death Scene Investigations: Roles & Responsibilities Presenter: Ms. Barbara Butcher This presentation discusses the difference between the cause and manner of death, steps of a scene investigation, and the role of a medicolegal death investigator. Additionally, this session describes what happens after death, artifacts caused after death, and methods for identifying a decedent. Finally, Ms. Butcher provides examples of scenarios that a death investigator may encounter.

Responding to Sexual Assault Victims of Color

November 2018

A deeper understanding of the trauma experienced by people of color and its impact on their experience in the criminal justice system provides the ability to improve sexual assault investigations and victim services for survivors of color.

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on November 29, 2018.

Investigative DNA Testing Implementation

January 2018

This webinar will discuss the technical and operational aspects of implementing forensic investigative DNA testing. DNA based prediction of physical appearance can provide investigators with useful leads when a DNA profile generates no hits.

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on January 16, 2018.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Kinship Testing Involving Siblings

March 2018

This webinar aims to improve the knowledge on kinship testing involving siblings, and provides a cost-benefit analysis of practices involving the use of additional reference siblings and substitution of half siblings for full siblings in kinship tests.

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on March 7, 2018.

Evaluating the Use of DNA Analysis for Family Reunification

March 2018

DNA analysis allows for testing relationships (kinship) between two individuals in situations that vary from legal immigration to claimed parentage testing. This webinar focuses on the applicability of DNA testing for family reunification.

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on March 14, 2018.
 

Genes of a Feather Stick Together: Evaluating Linked Markers

March 2018

New DNA analysis kits used in kinship testing may contain loci that are potentially linked. This project will examine if three pairs of exhibit linkage and explore possible solutions for using these loci more appropriately in kinship testing.

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on March 28, 2018.

Screening Workflows for the Identification of NPS in Forensic Toxicology Casework Using High Resolution Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectroscopy (QTOF)

July 2018

This recording one of a group of presentations on The Synthetic Drug Crisis – Identifying NPS in Forensic Casework, which is session I in Best Practices Guidance for Advancing Research Initiatives and Combatting the Synthetic Drug Epidemic Online Workshop Series.

The workshop was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on July 25, 2018.

Advances in Forensic Urine Drug Testing - Threshold Accurate Calibration (TAC)

July 2018

This recording one of a group of presentations on The Synthetic Drug Crisis – Identifying NPS in Forensic Casework, which is session I in Best Practices Guidance for Advancing Research Initiatives and Combatting the Synthetic Drug Epidemic Online Workshop Series.

The workshop was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on July 25, 2018.

Identification and Quantification of New Psychoactive Substances Without Authentic Reference Standards

July 2025

This recording one of a group of presentations on The Synthetic Drug Crisis – Identifying NPS in Forensic Casework, which is session I in Best Practices Guidance for Advancing Research Initiatives and Combatting the Synthetic Drug Epidemic Online Workshop Series.

The workshop was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on July 25, 2018.

SWGDRUG Recommendations for Identification of Novel Psychoactive Substance Seized in Drug Casework

July 2018

This recording one of a group of presentations on The Synthetic Drug Crisis – Identifying NPS in Forensic Casework, which is session I in Best Practices Guidance for Advancing Research Initiatives and Combatting the Synthetic Drug Epidemic Online Workshop Series.

The workshop was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on July 25, 2018.

A Working Model for Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Combatting the Synthetic Drug Crisis

July 2018

This recording one of a group of presentations on The Synthetic Drug Crisis – Identifying NPS in Forensic Casework, which is session I in Best Practices Guidance for Advancing Research Initiatives and Combatting the Synthetic Drug Epidemic Online Workshop Series.

The workshop was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on July 25, 2018.
 

An LC-MS-MS Method for the Analysis of Fentanyl in Postmortem and Impaired Driving Cases

July 2018

This recording one of a group of presentations on Analysis of NPS – Practical Considerations and Analytical Approaches, which is session II in the Best Practices Guidance for Advancing Research Initiatives and Combatting the Synthetic Drug Epidemic Online Workshop Series.

The workshop was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on July 25, 2018.

Quantitative Method Development and Validation for 18 Fentanyl Analogs and Experience with Casework Samples

July 2018

This recording one of a group of presentations on Analysis of NPS – Practical Considerations and Analytical Approaches, which is session II in the Best Practices Guidance for Advancing Research Initiatives and Combatting the Synthetic Drug Epidemic Online Workshop Series.

The workshop was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on July 25, 2018.

Qualitative Method Development and Validation for Synthetic Cannabinoids and Experience with Casework Samples

July 2018

This recording one of a group of presentations on Analysis of NPS – Practical Considerations and Analytical Approaches, which is session II in the Best Practices Guidance for Advancing Research Initiatives and Combatting the Synthetic Drug Epidemic Online Workshop Series.

The workshop was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on July 25, 2018.

Practical Considerations in Designing Methods Validation Studies for NPS Assays

July 2018

This recording one of a group of presentations on Analysis of NPS – Practical Considerations and Analytical Approaches, which is session II in the Best Practices Guidance for Advancing Research Initiatives and Combatting the Synthetic Drug Epidemic Online Workshop Series.

The workshop was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on July 25, 2018.

Development of a Standard for Confirmatory Method Validation in Forensic Toxicology

July 2018

This recording one of a group of presentations on Analysis of NPS – Practical Considerations and Analytical Approaches, which is session II in the Best Practices Guidance for Advancing Research Initiatives and Combatting the Synthetic Drug Epidemic Online Workshop Series.

The workshop was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on July 25, 2018.