Laboratory operations

In the sixth and final webinar, participants will be introduced to the use of PMCT in the investigation of a variety of unnatural deaths not discussed in previous webinars.  Topics include overdose deaths, select asphyxial mechanisms of death, and sharp force injury.

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on May 18, 2021. 

In the fifth webinar, participants will be introduced to the use of PMCT in the investigation of natural deaths.  At the New Mexico OMI, a PMCT scan may be used to rule out trauma in apparently natural deaths, or to confirm a natural cause of death.  Depending on investigative details (circumstances, age, and medical history), and the PMCT findings, pathologists may choose to perform an external exam or a full autopsy.

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on May 11, 2021.

In the third webinar, participants will be introduced to the use of PMCT for examining decedents with gunshot wounds, both homicidal and self-inflicted.  At the New Mexico OMI, a PMCT scan is performed in virtually all gunshot wound (GSW) related deaths.  In cases of suspected homicide or suspicious suicides, autopsy is also performed.  However, in non-suspicious cases involving self-inflicted GSW, PMCT is combined with an external examination, and sometimes a partial autopsy to retrieve a retained projectile, replacing the full autopsy. 

This webinar will introduce participants to the use of PMCT in the diagnosis of blunt force trauma.  PMCT scan may be used to diagnose fatal trauma in certain situations, allowing an external examination with postmortem CT to supplant an autopsy, which may better honor religious and cultural requests of grieving family members.  Non-suspicious, traumatic deaths, such as motor vehicle collisions, are such an example.  Additionally, PMCT often provides additional documentation of internal injuries where fatal injuries are obvious on external examination. 

In the first webinar, participants will be introduced to x-ray computed tomography (CT) and some key differences between CT and traditional x-ray.  The basic specifications of a CT scanner (such as bore diameter, maximum image size, and table specifications) will be introduced, with reference to their impact on whole body post-mortem scanning in particular.  Basic considerations for deploying a CT scanner in a medical examiner setting (cost, personnel, space, safety) will also be discussed.  

In the second webinar of the Post-mortem Computed Tomography Series, participants will be introduced to the use of PMCT as a triage tool in a busy forensic pathology practice.  Participants will first learn about the history of the use of PMCT at the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator (OMI) and the existing research and literature on the efficacy of PMCT in the medical examiner setting. 

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on April 20, 2021. 

COVID-19 has had an enormous effect on the workforce, and not just in the areas of operations and logistics.  Workplace schedules have been completely rearranged, work-life balance has been turned on its head from telework, and reduced “in lab” hours have caused strain on an already stressed workforce.  In this webinar, you will hear from three experts in workplace wellness, particularly in forensic science.

This webinar will explore some of the key elements that must be considered to successfully implement a Remote Work program in an operational forensic laboratory. Three leaders from County, State and Private labs will share their respective experiences on how to pivot to this new normal in the middle of a pandemic.

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on March 17, 2021.

In this webinar, the presenter will cover key components of successful onboarding in a crime lab, including setting employee expectations and making the employee feel like part of the team.  The presenter will go over an onboarding checklist so you can devise one that suits your agency’s needs.  Lastly, the presenter will discuss how successful onboarding can get the new employee “fired up” and increase employee engagement overall.   

This webinar will provide an overview of the validation, implementation of 3D  technology at the FBI Laboratory’s Firearms/Toolmarks Unit. This presentation will highlight the process, including Standard Operating Procedures, laboratory workflow, selection of casework, blind verification, reexamination of casework using light microscopy and Daubert preparation.

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on June 2, 2021, as part of the 2021 ASCLD Train the Director Series.

This webinar will facilitate a discussion about bias in a crime laboratory including what is bias in forensics, how it can impact your operations, why it is important, and considerations when building this culture. The webinar will include important aspects of an unbiased culture, symptoms that your culture is biased, and examples from the Phoenix Police Department, the Virginia Department of Forensic Sciences, and ICITAP’s.

This webinar was hosted by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence in July 2021.

In this webinar, attendees will learn a variety of strategies to keep participants engaged in an online meeting environment. In addition to reviewing these strategies, attendees will also be provided with factors to keep in mind when creating and selecting strategies for engagement. Attendees will also learn about features available in Zoom. T

his webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on July 7, 2021.