All of our webinars, reports, podcasts, and other educational resources are available to the public at no cost. Funding for the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence has been provided by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). NIJ is the research, development and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice.
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Harnessing Data to Implement Real-Time Data-Driven Overdose Response Strategies
Tuesday, December 7th, 2021 | 1:00 – 2:00 PM ETDuration: 1 hour In response to the lack of real-time reporting of both non-fatal and fatal overdoses across the United States, the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (W/B HIDTA) developed…
Death Certification by the Medical Examiner/Coroner in Drug-Related Deaths
Tuesday, November 30th, 2021 | 1:00 – 2:00 PM ETDuration: 1 hour Considering the steadily rising number of overdose deaths in recent years, public health systems rely on the vital role of medicolegal death investigation (MDI) to better understand why…
Data Systems Imperative in 21st Century Forensic Services
Tuesday, November 16th, 2021 | 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour Forensic science and service providers are, almost universally, experiencing a two-fold challenge to achieve effective results: diminishing resources and increasing demands for quality and quantity. The banner…
MDI Considerations for Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs
Thursday, November 4th, 2021 | 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour Medical examiners and coroners use a variety of data sources to complete a medicolegal death investigation (MDI) and make determinations on a cause and manner of death.…
The Importance of Data to the MDI Community and Stakeholders
Tuesday, November 2nd, 2021 | 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour Many stakeholders rely on medicolegal death investigation (MDI) data to support efforts that help save lives and promote justice. These stakeholders include federal, state, and local government…
Medicolegal Death Investigation (MDI) Webinar Series
Overview The medicolegal death investigation (MDI) system, which includes Medical Examiner and Coroner offices, serves a fundamental role for supporting public safety by conducting death scene investigations, performing forensic autopsies, providing cause and manner of death determinations, and completing death…
Sam Quinones | International Award-Winning Author – The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth
Thursday, October 28, 2021 | 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour Sam Quinones is a Los Angeles-based freelance journalist and an international award-winning author of four books of narrative nonfiction. Quinones’ latest book, The Least of Us: True…
DART-MS Data Interpretation Tool and Other Resources for Seized Drug Analysis
Thursday, October 21st, 2021 | 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour Over the past several years, emerging drugs and novel psychoactive substances have increased the challenge of seized drug analysis. Many laboratories have turned to new technology to…
Mapping Technologies for Crime Scenes
This webinar originally occurred on October 14th, 2021 Duration: 1 hour Traditionally, crime scene processing has involved manual measurements to construct diagrammatic representations of crime scenes. This is labor and time-intensive and does not necessarily yield a complete representation of…
Lessons Learned from Project ECHO: Overdose Fatality Investigation Techniques
This webinar originally occurred on Thursday, October 7th, 2021 Duration: 1 hour State and territorial public health agencies rely on timely and accurate overdose mortality data to drive effective prevention initiatives. As the number of overdose deaths in the United…
Footwear Evidence Conclusions: A Discussion of Standards, Recommendations, and Structure
This webinar originally occurred on September 30th, 2021 Duration: 1 hour It can be challenging to write reliable, accurate conclusions that meet the expectations of stakeholders that oversee and use footwear evidence reports. Some of the challenges associated with drafting…
AFDAA 2021 Summer Meeting
The Association of Forensic DNA Analysts and Administrators (AFDAA), RTI International, and NIJ’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) partnered to host the AFDAA summer meeting virtually on July 28th and 29th, 2021. This virtual conference allowed the continued dissemination…
Introduction to the Forensic Anthropology Database for Assessing Methods Accuracy
This webinar originally occurred on August 31st, 2021 Duration: 1 hour Data availability is the cornerstone of progression of any scientific inquiry. For forensic anthropologists, the data sources are limited, as they must be contextually appropriate (temporal, geographical, etc.) for…
Best Practices for Digital Image Processing
This webinar originally occurred on August 5th, 2021 Duration: 1 hour In the criminal justice community, digital images are used for scientific analysis and comparison. Unfortunately, many digital images are not always captured with the necessary clarity required for the…
Image Quality and Clarity: The Keys to Forensic Digital Image Processing
This webinar originally occurred on August 3rd, 2021 Duration: 1 hour The ability to accurately and reliably analyze and compare forensic digital images relies on two key elements: image quality and image clarity. Most forensic examiners understand that resolution plays…
Multiple Perspectives on Overdose Fatality Reviews
This webinar originally occurred on July 27th, 2021 Duration: 1 hour This webinar provided an overview of overdose fatality reviews (OFRs) with a specific focus on engaging partnerships with coroners, medical examiners, and medicolegal death investigators. The presenters highlighted OFRs…
Novel Psychoactive Substance Naming Conventions & Challenges
This webinar originally occurred on July 22nd, 2021 Duration: 1 hour Novel psychoactive substances (NPS) present many challenges for the forensic scientist, including the various ways that they are named and how those names are used – both scientifically and…
ASCLD Train the Director – Best Practices for Engaging Participants in Video Conferences
This webinar originally occurred on July 7th, 2021 Duration: 1 hour In this webinar, attendees learned a variety of strategies to keep participants engaged in an online meeting environment. First, attendees learned about the importance of familiarizing themselves with settings…
Microhaplotypes: A Comprehensive Forensic DNA Marker
This webinar originally occurred on June 22nd, 2021 Duration: 1 hour In this presentation, the subject matter expert discussed the current status of the research conducted in the GW-FMB lab on a new multi-function DNA marker and its potential impact…
ASCLD Train the Director – Successful Onboarding in Crime Laboratories
This webinar originally occurred on June 16th, 2021 Duration: 1 hour Onboarding involves integrating a new employee into your organization. Also known as organizational socialization, onboarding is an important process that sometimes becomes an afterthought in the rush to start…
A Comprehensive Look at LatentSleuth
This webinar originally occurred on June 8th, 2021 Duration: 1 hour LatentSleuth is a novel software toolset designed for (and with direct feedback from) latent print examiners. The toolset includes a small-scale automated fingerprint identification system (AFIS) matcher that leverages a novel matching algorithm…
ASCLD Train the Director – Firearms 3D Technology: Advantages and Value for Implementing 3D Technologies
This webinar originally occurred on June 2nd, 2021 Duration: 1 hour This presentation demonstrated the effectiveness of integrating 3D technology into the forensic firearms/toolmarks discipline and the decision analysis used for selecting samples for virtual comparison. In 2009, a report…
ASCLD Train the Director – Developing an Unbiased Culture in Your Laboratory
This webinar originally occurred on May 26th, 2021 Duration: 1 hour This webinar facilitated a discussion about bias in a crime laboratory. Questions discussed included: what is bias in forensics? How can it impact your operations? Why is it important?…
2021 NIJ Forensic Science R&D Symposium
Overview The Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) assisted the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) in hosting the annual NIJ Forensic Science Research and Development (R&D) Symposium on February 16, 2021 from 10:00 AM ET to 5:40 PM ET. NIJ…
Post-Blast Explosives Attribution
Postponed until further notice Duration: 1 hour Forensic science practitioners in both domestic and Department of Defense organizations are often called upon to build cases and attribute crimes using trace evidence remaining at a crime scene. The ultimate goal of…
PMCT Potpourri of Unnatural Deaths
← Back to Series – This webinar originally occurred on April 13th, 2021 Duration: 1 hour – In the sixth and final webinar, participants were introduced to the use of PMCT in the investigation of a variety of unnatural deaths…
PMCT of Natural Deaths
← Back to Series – This webinar originally occurred on May 11th, 2021 Duration: 1 hour – In the fifth webinar, participants were introduced to the use of PMCT in the investigation of natural deaths. At the New Mexico OMI, a…
PMCT of Blunt Force Trauma
← Back to Series – This webinar originally occurred on May 4th, 2021 Duration: 1 hour – This webinar introduced participants to the use of PMCT in the diagnosis of blunt force trauma. PMCT scan may be used to diagnose…
PMCT of Gunshot Wounds
This webinar originally occurred on April 27th, 2021 Duration: 1 hour In the third webinar, participants were introduced to the use of PMCT for examining decedents with gunshot wounds, both homicidal and self-inflicted. At the New Mexico OMI, a PMCT…
Overview of PMCT for Pathologist Triage
← Back to Series – This webinar originally occurred on April 20th, 2021 Duration: 1 hour In the second webinar, participants were introduced to the use of PMCT as a triage tool in a busy forensic pathology practice. Participants first…
Post-Mortem Computed Tomography Webinar Series
Overview Post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) is a valuable tool for medicolegal death investigation. PMCT examination may be used to supplement traditional autopsy or anthropological examinations. Further, PMCT combined with external examination may be used as an alternative to full autopsy…
PMCT Basics: Facility and Technical Aspects
← Back to Series – This webinar originally occurred on April 13th, 2021 Duration: 1 hour – In the first webinar, participants were introduced to x-ray computed tomography (CT) and some key differences between CT and traditional x-ray. The basic…
ASCLD Emerging Issues: COVID-19 Webinar Series
Overview The COVID-19 pandemic has had an immeasurable impact on workplaces around the world. Organizations have had to rapidly implement operational changes in order to ensure the safety of workers and the continued timely delivery of products and services. Through…
ASCLD Emerging Issues: COVID-19 – Wellness and Operations
← Back to ASCLD COVID-19 Series ← Back to Forensic Workforce Resiliency Series This webinar originally occurred on March 29th, 2021 Duration: 1 hour COVID-19 has had an enormous effect on the workforce, and not just in the areas of…
ASCLD Emerging Issues: COVID-19 – Remote Testimony
← Back to Series This webinar originally occurred on March 24th, 2021 Duration: 1 hour The COVID-19 pandemic has had an immeasurable impact on workplaces around the world. Organizations have had to rapidly implement operational changes in order to ensure…
Advancing Fire Scene Investigations with Field Portable Technologies
This webinar originally occurred on April 6th, 2021 Duration: 1.5 hours This multi-year effort evaluated the application and limitations of field portable Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) systems. The testing included three bench-top burns, nine flashover burns and 139 fire scenes with hundreds of samples…
Lessons Learned from Proficiency Test Results in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis
This webinar originally occurred on April 15th, 2021 Duration: 1 hour The Daubert ruling by the Supreme Court established “the known or potential rate of error” as one of several factors to be used when assessing the scientific reliability or…
ASCLD Emerging Issues: COVID-19 – Remote Work in the Forensic Lab
← Back to Series This webinar originally occurred on March 17th, 2021 Duration: 1 hour The COVID-19 pandemic has had an immeasurable impact on workplaces around the world. Organizations have had to rapidly implement operational changes in order to ensure…
Stability and Persistence of Touch DNA for Forensic Analysis
Touch DNA evidence (i.e. the low quantities of DNA that can be left behind when someone touches an object) is of increasing importance in criminal investigations. However, many important questions exist regarding basic properties of touch DNA, including the expected…
Structural Characterization of Emerging Synthetic Drugs by Mass Spectrometry
This webinar originally occurred on Friday, March 5th, 2021 Duration: 1 hour The main focus of this webinar is on the use of isotope labeling, multi-stage mass spectrometry (MSn), ion spectroscopy, and accurate mass measurements with high resolution mass spectrometry…
Preemptive Approach to Combatting and Characterizing Emerging Synthetic Opioids
This webinar originally occurred on Monday, February 8th, 2021 Duration: 1 hour This webinar described how preemptive synthesis and characterization of potent psychoactive substances from the literature can aid forensic scientists in the identification of unknowns appearing in samples emerging…
Novel Synthetic Opioids in Oral Fluid: Analytical Methods and Prevalence
This webinar originally occurred on Thursday, February 11th, 2021 Duration: 1 hour Opioid use has risen dramatically, creating public safety concerns. Synthetic opioids can be hundreds of times more potent than heroin and can produce severe intoxications and even fatalities…
Utility of Microbes in Forensic Science
This webinar originally occurred on Wednesday, January 20th, 2021 Duration: 1 hour The presenter discussed the definition of forensic microbiology, a timeline of when it first became popular, and how it differs from molecular epidemiology. The webinar then covered differences…
Emerging Methods for Body Fluid Analysis
This webinar originally occurred on Thursday, January 14th, 2021 Duration: 1.5 hours The Forensic Technology Center of Excellence hosted a panel of subject matter experts to discuss emerging methods for body fluid analysis. This webinar is broken up into three…
Deaths in Custody: A Comprehensive Review
This webinar originally occurred on December 2nd, 2020 Duration: 1 hour Join the Deputy Chief Medical Examiner of the Washington, D.C. OCME, Francisco J. Diaz, MD, FACP, as he presents the definition for the phrase “death in custody” and describes…
An Automated Single Cell Separation Technique to Improve Mixture Deconvolution
This webinar originally occurred on Thursday, November 12th, 2020 Duration: 1 hour Although the interpretation of mixed DNA samples is commonplace in forensic analyses, complex samples often present interpretational challenges. These complexities are introduced through a variety of environmental, biological,…
Network Forensics: Challenges and Tools
This webinar originally occurred on August 12th, 2020 Duration: 1 hour In response to criminal investigations involving digital evidence, law enforcement needs forensically sound tools to acquire, evaluate, process, and present the data to the court. In the case of…
Effects of DNA Extraction Methods on Recovery, Degradation, and Loss
← Back to Series – This webinar originally occurred on Wednesday, October 7th, 2020 Duration: 1 hour – The New Mexico Decedent Image Database (NMDID) is a new resource for research in any field that can draw on computed tomography…
Taking 3D Measurements with NMDID Images
← Back to Series – This webinar originally occurred on Wednesday, October 28th, 2020 Duration: 1 hour This webinar will introduce the audience to viewing and collecting data from 3D medical imaging modalities (CT/MRI) using the open source 3D Slicer…
Opening and Viewing NMDID Image Data
← Back to Series – This webinar originally occurred on Wednesday, October 21st, 2020 Duration: 1 hour In the third webinar, participants will learn about the image data included in the New Mexico Decedent Image Database. Post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT)…
Accessing and Utilizing Metadata from NMDID
← Back to Series – This webinar originally occurred on October 14th, 2020 Duration: 1 hour – In the second webinar, participants will explore the types of data included in the New Mexico Decedent Image Database. The Data Dictionary contains…
2020 SWAFS Virtual Conference
In October 2020, the FTCoE helped the Southwestern Association of Forensic Scientists (SWAFS) host their first virtual conference. This event, which saw over 1,400 unique attendees across three days, covered a multitude of topics pertinent to the forensic science community.…
The New Mexico Decedent Image Database Webinar Series
Overview The New Mexico Decedent Image Database (NMDID) is a new resource for research in any field that can draw on computed tomography scans of humans. The database contains de-identified scans of over 15,000 individuals; all were deceased at the…
Overview of Accessing the NMDID Database and Searching
← Back to Series – This webinar originally occurred on October 7th, 2020 Duration: 1 hour – The New Mexico Decedent Image Database (NMDID) is a new resource for research in any field that can draw on computed tomography scans…
PACE™: Rapid and Automated Artifact Identification and Number of Contributor Prediction
– Tuesday, July 28th, 2020 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:00:00 PM ETDuration: 1 hour(s) The PACE™ software introduces a fully continuous, machine learning tool to the forensic DNA community that enables fast and accurate artifact management and predicts the number…
Intact Low Explosives Analysis with an Emphasis on Microscopical Methods
– Thursday, July 16th, 2020 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:30:00 PM ETDuration: 1.5 hour(s) The presenters in this webinar will discuss intact low explosives analysis with an emphasis on microscopical methods. They will cover basic terminology for explosives, the rationale…
Validation and Tutorial of NOCIt for Determining the Number of Contributors
– Tuesday, July 14th, 2020 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:00:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour(s) Forensic DNA signal is notoriously challenging to interpret and requires the implementation of computational tools that support its interpretation. While data from high-copy, low-contributor samples…
ASCLD Emerging Issues: Employee Wellness Webinar Series
Overview Providing training and education to our membership is a core mission for ASCLD. Despite the unfortunate cancellation of our annual symposium this year, the Symposium Planning and Training and Education Committees found a way to bring timely and relevant…
ASCLD Emerging Issues: Employee Wellness – Tackling Employee Wellness: The Phoenix Police Department’s Crime Lab Approach
← Back to ASCLD Employee Wellness Series ← Back to Forensic Workforce Resiliency Series This webinar originally occurred on June 18th, 2020 Duration: 1.5 hours Organizations often struggle with building supportive organizational cultures, employee morale, and interpersonal relationships. The Phoenix…
ASCLD Emerging Issues: Employee Wellness – Drug Exposures in the Forensic Laboratory: What We Know, What We Can Learn
This webinar originally occurred on June 25th, 2020 Duration: 1.5 hours The recent rise in the illicit trade of highly toxic, synthetic drugs such as fentanyl has introduced a new set of potential health hazards to the forensic laboratory. Proper…
ASCLD Emerging Issues: Employee Wellness – Stress, Vicarious Trauma, and Resiliency for Forensic Science Professionals
← Back to ASCLD Employee Wellness Series ← Back to Forensic Workforce Resiliency Series This webinar originally occurred on June 11th, 2020 Duration: 1.5 hours The phenomena of vicarious traumatization, compassion fatigue, and burnout have been described since the mid…
Managing an Accredited Digital Forensics Laboratory
– Wednesday, July 1st, 2020 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:00:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour(s) In a 1-hour presentation, this webinar will address challenges unique to managing digital forensics laboratories seeking or maintaining accreditation. Participants will explore current challenges facing…
Just a Statistical Approach to Glass Evidence
In episode six of the 2020 R&D Season, Just Science interviews Dr. José Almirall, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Florida International University, about a statistical approach for the interpretation of glass evidence. One criticism levied against trace evidence examinations…
Ventilation Limited Fires: Considerations for Fire Pattern Analysis
Wednesday, June 10th, 2020 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:00:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour(s) During the past decade, the UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute has conducted research examining fire-fighting tactics. This research found that factors such as construction materials, contents,…
Identifying an Unknown Paint System Using the RCMP PDQ Program
Wednesday, April 8th, 2020 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:00:00 PM ET Duration: 1.5 hour(s) Using a typical OEM paint system, the PDQ Maintenance Team will walk through the best practices to efficiently use the database and spectral libraries to identify…
The Sequel – Marijuana or Hemp: From Farm Bill to Forensic Analysis
Wednesday, March 25th, 2020 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:00:00 PM ET Duration: 2 hour(s) Due to the overwhelming attendance and interaction for the first Marijuana or Hemp: From Farm Bill to Forensic Analysis webinar that was originally held on January 15th 2020,…
Recent Advances in Tandem Separation and Detection Techniques for the Analysis of Emerging Drugs
Thursday, March 19th, 2020 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:00:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour(s) The use of tandem separation and detection techniques can be thought of as a tandem bicycle: one passenger is the separation technique and the other passenger…
ASCLD Train the Director – Marijuana Analysis in a New Frontier: Two State Laboratory Approaches
This webinar originally occurred on March 5th, 2020 Duration: 1.5 hours After the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Farm Bill) was enacted in December 2018, many states rushed to make changes to their own laws to allow the hemp industry…
Results of a Black Box Study on the Accuracy and Reliability of Palm Print Comparisons
Thursday, March 12th, 2020 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:00:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour(s) In 2011, a team of researchers from the FBI and Noblis published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences the first large-scale black box…
ASCLD Train the Director – Toxicology: Instrumentation, Methodology, and Workflows
This webinar originally occurred on February 6th, 2020 Duration: 1.5 hours Legacy workflows in toxicology generally involve a drug class screen followed by a gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy (LC/MS-MS) confirmation analysis. Additional techniques could also…
The Time to Analyze is Now: DNA Evidence in Groping Sexual Assault Cases
This webinar originally occurred on Wednesday, January 29th, 2020 Duration: 1.5 hour(s) This webinar built on the concepts presented in the webinar “The Time to Collect is Now: DNA Evidence in Groping Sexual Assault Cases” presented by Dr. Julie Valentine.…
ASCLD Train the Director – Investigative Genetic Genealogy: Background and Crime Lab Strategy
This webinar originally occurred on January 23rd, 2020 Duration: 1.5 hours Investigative Genetic Genealogy is a recently developed technique that generates new leads on previously unsolved cases where DNA from the suspect is present at the crime scene. In situations…
ASCLD Train the Director – Quality Assurance: Beyond Accreditation
This webinar originally occurred on January 9th, 2020 Duration: 1.5 hours Accreditation and quality assurance are two terms that are commonly used within the forensic science community. Many forensic laboratory mission statements incorporate the word quality in some capacity. Some…
2020 NIJ Forensic Science R&D Symposium
Overview The Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) assisted the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) in hosting the annual NIJ Forensic Science Research and Development (R&D) Symposium on February 18th, 2020 at the 72nd Annual American Academy of Forensic Sciences…
Marijuana or Hemp: From Farm Bill to Forensic Analysis
Wednesday, January 15th, 2020 1:00:00 PM ET – 3:00:00 PM ET Duration: 2 hour(s) Attendees heard from experts in agricultural policy, hemp industry analytical testing, and the DEA Special Testing and Research laboratory to obtain a better understanding of the…
Communicating Conclusions in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis
Wednesday, December 11th, 2019 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:30:00 PM ET Duration: 1.5 hour(s) The results of a bloodstain pattern analysis are communicated through written reports and courtroom testimony. Principles of communication science will be discussed and explained to develop…
UNODC Early Warning Alert System: Forensic Tools for New Psychoactive Substances
This webinar originally occurred on December 3rd, 2019 Duration: 1 hour The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Early Warning Advisory (EWA) on new psychoactive substances (NPS) was launched in June 2013 as a response to the emergence…
Providing Forensic Healthcare and Support to Native Communities
This webinar originally occurred on February 27th, 2020 Duration: 1.5 hours Awareness of how to provide culturally appropriate and trauma informed services to the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) community is important for forensic examiners. This webinar discussed jurisdictional factors affecting…
Forensic Epidemiology: Monitoring Fatal Drug Overdose Trends
This webinar originally occurred on February 11th, 2020Duration: 1 hour Given the vital role of medical examiners and coroners (ME/C) in recognizing emerging trends in drug overdose deaths, partnering epidemiologists with ME/C offices can greatly enhance the utility of the…
The Next Wave: Applying Lessons Learned from Opioids and PolyDrug Critical Incidents in Addressing Emerging Drug Threat
This webinar originally occurred on November 12th, 2019 Duration: 1 hour By participating in this webinar, participants were able to discuss the breadth, diversity, and array of substance and substance combinations as well as the latest trends in novel psychoactive…
Rapid and Effective Identification of Organic and Inorganic Gunshot Residues
Wednesday, November 20th, 2019 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:30:00 PM ET Duration: 1.5 hour(s) Forensic laboratories and law enforcement personnel provide valuable support in the reconstruction of events and the assessment of the value of evidence in firearm-related investigations. The…
Detection and Visibility of Bruises Using Alternate Light: From Science to Practice
Wednesday, October 30th, 2019 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:00:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour(s) Bruising is one of the most common types of soft tissue injury noted on victims of violence, including those suffering intimate partner violence, sexual assault, child…
Handling Difficult and Disturbing Forensic Cases for Coroners and Medical Examiners
This webinar originally occurred on October 17th, 2019 Duration: 1 hour There are over 2000 medical examiner and coroner offices throughout the United States. All are involved in determining the cause and manner of death and communicating this information to…
Portable Advanced 3D Imaging for Footwear and Tire Impression Capture
Wednesday, October 23rd, 2019 2:00 – 3:30 PM ET Duration: 1.5 hour(s) This webinar will explain the principles and capabilities of a fully automated portable system with an easy-to use-graphical user interface (GUI) for shoe and tire impression capture. We…
Improving National Laboratory Capability and Capacity to Measure Human Exposure to Synthetic Opioids
This webinar originally occurred on September 3rd, 2019 Duration: 1 hour The CDC laboratory at the National Center for Environmental Health is collaborating with public, private, and academic laboratories to respond to the opioid overdose epidemic. Some states are leveraging…
Opioids & Emerging Drug Threats – Integrating Public Safety and Health Data for a Forensic Response Webinar Series
Overview Building on the momentum of the National Opioid and Emerging Drug Threats Policy and Practice Forum held earlier this year in Washington, D.C., the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) will assist the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) in a complementary initiative surrounding the topic by hosting…
Digital and Multimedia Forensics: The Impact of Disturbing Media
This webinar originally occurred on August 28th, 2019 Duration: 1 hour Within the law enforcement and digital forensics communities, people will say, “What do they expect? It’s part of the job – they should be able to handle it.” However,…
The Opioid Epidemic: An Update from the Coroner/ME Perspective
Wednesday, July 24th, 2019 Duration: 50 minutes Between 2016 and 2017, overdose deaths increased from 63,632 to 70,237. Of these, 47,600 overdose deaths involved opioids. In 2017, West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and the District of Columbia were the top…
Medicolegal Death Investigation: Locating and Notifying Next of Kin & Donation 101
Tuesday, July 23rd, 2019 Duration: 1.75 hour(s) Locating and notifying the next of kin is an important part of medicolegal death investigation. This presentation provided examples of resources at the scene and online to assist medicolegal death investigators (MDIs) with…
Understanding the Impact of Drug Background Levels in Forensic Laboratories
This webinar originally occurred on August 13th, 2019 Duration: 2 hours As drugs become increasingly potent and analytical instrumentation becomes more sensitive, the need to understand and monitor drug background levels is becoming imperative. Background monitoring is commonplace in many…
A Campus-Wide Response to Sexual Misconduct: Best Practices
This webinar originally occurred on August 7th, 2019 Duration: 1.5 hours This webinar highlights the dynamics of campus sexual assault that may be specific to, or heightened in the context of, a college or university setting. Additionally, the presenter discusses…
Using ODMAP to Harness Data and Accelerate Action
This webinar originally occurred on July 16th, 2019 Duration: 1 hours The Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP) provides near real-time suspected overdose surveillance data across jurisdictions to support public safety and to mobilize an immediate response to a sudden…
Module 8: Probabilistic Genotyping Summation and Special Topics
← Back to Series Probabilistic Genotyping of Evidentiary DNA Typing Results – An Online Workshop Series Module 8: Probabilistic Genotyping Summation and Special Topics Wednesday, July 17th, 2019 12:00:00 PM ET – 4:00:00 PM ET Duration: 4 hour(s) Throughout the Probabilistic…
Cradle to Cane: Investigation of Crimes Against Vulnerable Victims
Overview: In 2017, the National Institute of Justice, Charleston Southern University, the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence, and the Shaken Baby Alliance worked together to create and host “From Cradle to Cane: Investigation of Crimes Against Vulnerable Victims.” This two-day conference, held in Charleston, SC, focused…
MODULE 7: Uncertainty and Limitations of Probabilistic Genotyping Systems
← Back to Series Probabilistic Genotyping of Evidentiary DNA Typing Results – An Online Workshop Series Module 7: Uncertainty and Limitations of Probabilistic Genotyping Systems Wednesday, June 26th, 2019 from 12:00:00 PM ET – 4:00:00 PM ET Duration: 4 hour(s)…
MODULE 6: Probabilistic Genotyping in Court
← Back to Series Probabilistic Genotyping of Evidentiary DNA Typing Results – An Online Workshop Series Module 6: Probabilistic Genotyping in Court Wednesday, June 19th, 2019 from 12:00:00 PM ET – 4:00:00 PM ET Duration: 4 hour(s) Biological modeling, statistical…
Module 5: Representation of Statistical Weight to Stakeholders and the Court
← Back to Series Probabilistic Genotyping of Evidentiary DNA Typing Results – An Online Workshop Series Module 5: Representation of Statistical Weight to Stakeholders and the Court Wednesday, June 12th, 2019 from 12:00:00 PM ET – 4:00:00 PM ET Duration:…
MODULE 4: VALIDATION OF PROBABILISTIC GENOTYPING SYSTEMS FOR CASEWORK USAGE
← Back to Series Probabilistic Genotyping of Evidentiary DNA Typing Results – An Online Workshop Series Module 4: Validation of Probabilistic Genotyping Systems for Casework Usage Wednesday, May 29th, 2019 from 12:00:00 PM ET – 4:00:00 PM ET Duration: 4…
MODULE 3: PROBABILISTIC GENOTYPING SOFTWARE AND OUTPUT
← Back to Series Probabilistic Genotyping of Evidentiary DNA Typing Results – An Online Workshop Series Module 3: Probabilistic Genotyping Software and Output Original webinar took place on Wednesday, May 22nd, 2019 from 12:00:00 PM ET – 4:00:00 PM ET…
MODULE 2: STATISTICAL GENETICS AND THE MECHANISMS OF PROBABILISTIC GENOTYPING
← Back to Series Probabilistic Genotyping of Evidentiary DNA Typing Results – An Online Workshop Series Module 2: Statistical Genetics and the Mechanisms of Probabilistic Genotyping Wednesday, May 8th, 2019 from 12:00:00 PM ET – 4:00:00 PM ET Duration: 4…
GROWING THE FORENSIC NURSING SPECIALTY
Tuesday, May 21st, 2019 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:30:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes Over the past three decades, Forensic Nursing has emerged as a health care discipline to inform communities of interest and to continually improve…
A Therapeutic Response to Suspected Elder Abuse
Thursday, May 9th, 2019 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:30:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes 1. Understand the epidemiology of elder abuse 2. Describe and be able to recognize the older adults’ vulnerabilities to abuse 3. Describe pearls…
Online Workshop Series: Probabilistic Genotyping Of Evidentiary DNA Typing Results
Overview The Federal Bureau of Investigation Laboratory has partnered with the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence to create a series of online workshops aimed at increasing knowledge, understanding, and the reliable application of probabilistic genotyping to…
Rapid DNA’s Role in Disaster Victim Identification
Wednesday, May 2nd, 2019 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:30:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes Historically DNA technology has been used as a last resort in the identification of disaster victims. Traditional DNA testing can be a lengthy…
Module 1: The Elements of DNA Profile Interpretation and Probabilistic Genotyping
← Back to Series Probabilistic Genotyping of Evidentiary DNA Typing Results – An Online Workshop Series Module 1: The Elements of DNA Profile Interpretation and Probabilistic Genotyping Wednesday, May 1st, 2019 from 12:00:00 PM ET – 4:00:00 PM ET Duration:…
Neurophysiology and Overcoming Trauma: Understanding Individual Challenges
Tuesday, April 30, 2019 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:30:00 PM ET Duration: 1.5 hour(s) This webinar explores how personal experiences and unique traumas create commonly felt physical symptoms and investigates how the brain functions reflect a reaction to danger, an…
Identification: Just the Double Loop Podcast Crossover
<<< back to all podcasts Just the Double Loop Podcast Crossover In episode nine of the Identification season, Just Science sits down with Heidi Eldridge, from RTI international, along with Eric Ray and Glenn Langenburg, the co-hosts of the Double Loop Podcast, to discuss the…
Collaboration Enhances Trauma-Informed Response to Sexual Assault Survivors
Original live webinar took place Thursday, April 25, 2019 1:00:00 PM EDT – 2:30:00 PM EDT Duration: 1 hour(s) 30 minute(s) Register for the archived version below. The Houston Area Women’s Center’s & Houston Police Department’s experiences will provide attendees…
Identification: Just Forensic Technician Vicarious Trauma
<<< back to all podcasts Just Forensic Technician Vicarious Trauma In episode eight of the Identification season, Just Science interviews Selena McKay-Davis, lead senior forensic specialist at Riverside Police Department, about job-related stress for forensic technicians and sworn peace officers.…
Emerging Research in Toxicology & Drugs
This webinar originally occurred on April 23rd, 2019 Duration: 1.5 hours Forensic science research and development plays a key role in the advancement of the practice of forensic science, as noted by the 2009 National Academies of Science report “Strengthening…
Identification: Just Forensic Microanthropology
<<< back to all podcasts Just Forensic Microanthropology In episode seven of the Identification season, Just Science interviews Carlos Gutierrez, a lecturer at Chaminade University of Honolulu, about the new field of Forensic Microanthropology. After finding an unidentified bone, forensic…
Surviving Sexual Assault – It Takes A Village
Thursday, April 11, 2019 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:30:00 PM ET Duration: 1.5 hour(s) Listening to the experiences of sexual assault survivors is an important step to fully understand how the criminal justice system plays a pivotal role in a…
Identification: Just Improvised Explosive Devices
<<< back to all podcasts Just Improvised Explosive Devices In episode six of the Identification season, Just Science interviews Hillary Daluz, an instructor for Tritech Forensics and author on latent print analysis. From soda cans and cigarette packs to animal…
Emerging Research in Forensic Biology
This webinar originally occurred on April 9th, 2019 Duration: 1.5 hours Forensic science research and development plays a key role in the advancement of the practice of forensic science, as noted by the 2009 National Academies of Science report “Strengthening…
Emerging Research in Forensic Chemistry
This webinar originally occurred on April 4th, 2019 Duration: 1.5 hours Forensic science research and development plays a key role in the advancement of the practice of forensic science, as noted by the 2009 National Academies of Science report “Strengthening…
Identification: Just 19 Hours and 300 miles
<<< back to all podcasts Just 19 Hours and 300 miles In episode five of the Identification season, Just Science interviews Erin Sims, Lab Manager of the Forensic Identification Unit for the Lincoln, Nebraska Police Department, about a case involving…
HHRRC – Building Forensic Capacity Post-Conflict: Lessons from Uganda
This webinar originally occurred on March 28th, 2019Duration: 1.5 hours This presentation introduces research conducted in Uganda at the nexus of forensic science and transitional justice, highlighting a large-scale forensic investigation and human identification capacity-building workshop for Ugandan stakeholders. Detailed…
Identification: Just the Molalla Forest Serial Killer
<<< back to all podcasts Just the Molalla Forest Serial Killer In episode four of the Identification season, Just Science interviews Robert Thompson, Senior Forensic Science Research Manager at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, about his role in…
Identification: Just a Modified Direct to DNA Approach to Sexual Assault Kit Testing
<<< back to all podcasts Just a Modified Direct to DNA Approach to Sexual Assault Kit Testing In episode three of the Identification season, Just Science interviews forensic biologist Caitlin Rogers. Forensic scientists are always looking to improve the efficiency…
Emerging Research in Medicolegal Death Investigations
This webinar originally occurred on March 14, 2019 Duration: 1.5 hours Forensic science research and development plays a key role in the advancement of the practice of forensic science, as noted by the 2009 National Academies of Science report “Strengthening…
HHRRC – Stable Isotope Analysis in a Humanitarian Context
The webinar originally occurred on March 12th, 2019Duration: 1.5 hours This webinar will introduce stable isotope analysis and its validity as analytical tool in establishing the geographic origin and life history of unidentified individuals from forensic and humanitarian contexts. In…
Identification: Just Drawing Knowledge from a Forensic Artist
<<< back to all podcasts Just Drawing Knowledge from a Forensic Artist In episode two of the Identification season, Just Science interviews Suzanne Birdwell, a forensic artist with the Texas Department of Public Safety and the current Chair of the…
The Time to Collect is Now: DNA Evidence in Groping Sexual Assault Cases
Wednesday, February 27, 2019 2:00 PM ET – 3:30 PM ET Duration: 1.5 hour(s) Improving the overall response to sexual assault includes understanding how touch DNA evidence impacts groping sexual assault cases. This webinar will illustrate the importance of these…
Emerging Research in Firearms and Toolmarks
This webinar originally occurred on February 26th, 2019 Duration: 1.5 hours Forensic science research and development plays a key role in the advancement of the practice of forensic science, as noted by the 2009 National Academies of Science report “Strengthening…
Identification: Just the Sole of Impression Pattern Evidence
<<< back to all podcasts Just the Sole of Impression Pattern Evidence The Identification season of Just Science will focus on many of the different aspects of identification in forensic investigations. A majority of these interviews were recorded at the…
ASCLD Train the Director – Quality Assurance in the Forensic Laboratory
This webinar originally occurred on February 21st, 2019 Duration: 1 hour This course explains transitioning from 17025:2005 to 17025:2017 and the lessons learned. This is the fifth webinar in the ASCLD Train the Director Webinar Series. Arizona Department of Public…
ASCLD Train the Director – Trace Evidence for the Crime Laboratory
This webinar originally occurred on February 14th, 2019 Duration: 1 hour This course serves as an overview of the trace evidence discipline for the crime laboratory administration. This is the fourth webinar in the ASCLD Train the Director Webinar Series.…
HHRRC – Isotopes Aiding Identification of Undocumented Border Crosser Human Remains
This webinar originally occurred on February 6th, 2019Duration: 1.5 hours This webinar highlights the theory and methods of isotopic analysis to explain how it can be used to assist in the identification of human remains for undocumented border crossers who…
ASCLD Train the Director – NIBIN Challenges and Opportunities
This webinar originally occurred on January 24th, 2019 Duration: 1 hour This is the first webinar in the ASCLD Train the Director Webinar Series. Crime Gun Intelligence utilizes evidence-based technology to provide law enforcement a unique tool to develop information…
ASCLD Train the Director Webinar Series
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ASCLD Train the Director – Digital Forensics: An Overview for the Laboratory Manager
This webinar originally occurred on January 31st, 2019 Duration: 1 hour This webinar will provide an overview of the field of digital forensics for the laboratory administrator. This is part of the ASCLD Train the Director Webinar Series. Digital forensics…
ASCLD Train the Director – Fire Debris Analysis is Not Black Magic!
This webinar originally occurred on February 7th, 2019 Duration: 1 hour The webinar will introduce those laboratory managers with fire debris analysis sections to the nuances of fire debris analysis. This is part of the ASCLD Train the Director Webinar…
Investigating Sexual Assault of Elder Victims
This webinar originally occurred on January 22nd, 2019 Duration: 1.5 hours Sexual assault investigations within the elderly population require a unique and collaborative response. This webinar highlights strategies to improve support services and case outcomes for elderly victims through a…
Psychological Survival in a Violent Career
This webinar (Part One) originally occurred in 2018 Duration: 1.5 hours A follow-up webinar (Part Two) originally occurred on May 30th, 2019 Duration: 1.5 hours Dr. David Christiansen discussed some of the relevant issues which affect law enforcement officers, firefighters,…
Responding to Sexual Assault Victims of Color
This webinar originally occurred on November 29th, 2018 Duration: 1 hour 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…
Variability in Blow-Fly Development – Research and Implications for PMI Practice
Wednesday, November 7, 2018 2:00 PM ET – 4:00 PM ET Duration: 2 hour(s) Dr. Leon Higley’s work to characterize blow-fly species indicates that there is variation within a single population–the bell curve is wide. Dr. Higley will share his…
Advancing Research Initiatives and Combatting the Human Trafficking Epidemic
Thursday, November 1, 2018 1:00 PM ET – 2:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour(s) Trafficking in persons is a multi-faceted global epidemic which has seen a significant increase in public awareness. However, there is a substantial need to expand capacities…
Estimating Blow Fly Age and Reducing Error in Postmortem Interval Cases
Wednesday, October 24, 2018 2:00:00 PM ET – 4:00:00 PM ET Duration: 2 hour(s) Insect evidence can provide valuable information during death investigations. Forensic entomologists estimate the ages of the immature insects like blow flies, which can provide useful information…
New SWGDAM Recommendations on Communicating Likelihood Ratios
Thursday, October 18, 2018 1:00:00 PM ET – 3:00:00 PM ET Duration: 2 hour(s) SWGDAM recently issued recommendations on genotyping results reported as likelihood ratios, designed to promote consistency among laboratories. Members of the committee will discuss the recommendations and…
Paper Microfluidic Devices for Fieldable Forensic Testing
Wednesday, October 3, 2018 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:00:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour(s) A suite of paper microfluidic devices for detecting explosives, drugs and serology has now been developed. These devices are not much larger than a postage stamp…
Novel Forensic Chemistry Research from Early-Career Scientists
Wednesday, September 19, 2018 from 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM ET Duration: 1.5 hour(s) National Forensic Science Week recognizes the contribution that forensic science makes to the criminal justice system. Throughout the week, the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE)…
Making a Forensic Scientist: A Recipe for Success
Friday, September 21, 2018 1:00:00 PM ET – 3:00:00 PM ET Duration: 2 hour(s) This webinar will discuss the challenges facing forensic science today and provide advice for entry-level practitioners on skills needed to succeed as a forensic scientist. National…
Mixtures, Microhaps, and Modeling, Oh My!! Cutting-Edge Research in Forensic DNA Analysis from Early-Career Scientists
Tuesday, September 18, 2018 10:00:00 AM ET – 11:30:00 AM ET Duration: 1.5 hour(s) During National Forensic Science Week, early-career researchers that were awarded FTCoE travel sponsorships to the prestigious Gordon Research Conference and Seminar will present novel projects in…
Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center Webinar Series
Overview The Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center (HHRRC) of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) with support from the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence provides needed resources and support to apply modern forensic science…
Forensic Workforce Resiliency: Vicarious Trauma & Workplace Stress Webinar Series
Overview Professionals throughout the criminal justice system are exposed to the aftermath of violent crime and its victims. These individuals may include forensic nurses, crime scene investigators, forensic practitioners, medicolegal death investigators, and other professionals in related fields. Research has…
The Vicarious Trauma Toolkit – an Evidence-informed Resource for Organizations
This webinar originally occurred on September 13th, 2018 Duration: 1.5 hours Vicarious trauma is an occupational challenge for forensic science professionals whose work entails continuous contact with victims of crime and violence, and the analysis of traumatic material. This webinar…
Improving Sexual Assault Response within Special Populations Webinar Series
Overview Creating a victim-centered response to sexual assault within special populations is a critical component of improving support services to victims, maintaining victim engagement in the criminal justice process, and improving sexual assault case outcomes. A victim’s first impression of…
Small Bloodstains on Textiles – What Can They Tell Us?
Wednesday, September 12, 2018 1:00:00 PM EDT – 2:00:00 PM EDT Duration: 1 hour(s) This webinar will explore the interaction of blood with the multiple structures that occur within a simple textile and how these structures affect small bloodstains. One…
3D-ID-Geometric Morphometric Classification of Crania for Forensic Scientists Software Best Practices
Thursday, August 16, 2018 1:00 PM ET – 2:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour(s) Attendees will be introduced to the new features of the new software release, how to maximize results, and how to best interpret results for forensic casework…
Providing Gender Inclusive Care to Victims of Sexual Assault
This webinar originally occurred on August 30th, 2018 Duration: 1 hour This webinar will discuss considerations to best serve sexual assault victims of LGBTQ community, particularly transgender survivors, and present case studies to illustrate gender inclusive responses to sexual assault.…
Online Workshop: 2018 IAC&ME Training Symposium
This year, the IAC&ME hosted a combined Basic and Advanced Medicolegal Death Investigation (MDI) course in addition to its general conference program in Las Vegas, Nevada. This year’s program provided another excellent opportunity to learn from some of the best…
Webinar: Identifying Seized Drugs using Mass Spectral Library Searching
Tuesday, August 7th, 2018 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:00:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour(s) The rapid spread of designer drugs has introduced significant identification challenges to the forensic science community. This webinar discusses how Mass Spectrometry and the “Hybrid Search”…
Three Part Online Workshop Series: Best Practices Guidance for Advancing Research Initiatives and Combatting the Synthetic Drug Epidemic
Archives Overview The Center for Forensic Science Research and Education (CFSRE) is a world-leading center in novel drug identification and interpretation. The CFSRE is working in association with NIJ’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE), led by RTI International,…
Leadership Series
Overview: Every forensic science professional is a leader. Our society relies on the credibility and fairness of the criminal justice system. Forensic scientists play an important and fundamental role in the criminal justice community and are key to keeping our…
Webinar: Transition to Impact – Bringing Research to Practice [ARCHIVAL]
Enabling great research to have impact in the forensics community requires transitioning knowledge from the lab to the market. Come learn about the steps you can take to improve the likelihood of your research impacting practice. Technology and knowledge transition…
Protected: Webinar: 2017 From Cradle to Cane – Part Four
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Just Talking Testimony
Just Talking Testimony In this special episode of the IPTES season recorded live in Crystal City, Just Science covers the panel titled, “Statistics and Testimony from the Practitioner and Juror Point of View.” Moderators for the panel were Dr. John…
Computerized Reconstruction of Fragmentary Skeletal Remains
In this webinar, we will introduce a newly developed software tool called “Fragmento”. Viewers will be able to learn how to use Fragmento to sort and assemble skeletal fragmentary remains and reconstruct the full bone and biological profile. In forensic…
Just Bayesian Brawl
Just Bayesian Brawl In episode nine of the IPTES season, Just Science is covering the Statistical Approaches to Forensic Interpretation panel, recorded live at IPTES. Moderators for the panel was your host, Dr. John Morgan, from RTI International and Dr.…
Just Handwriting Statistics
Just Handwriting Statistics In episode eight of the IPTES season, Just Science interviews Cami Fuglsby, from South Dakota State University, to discuss Sufficiency and Complexity Factors in Handwriting Examination. Did you know that increasing the size of the document improves…
Just Consecutively Manufactured Toolmarks
Just Consecutively Manufactured Toolmarks In episode seven of the IPTES season, Just Science interviews Robert Thompson, a Senior Forensic Science Research Manager at the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST). Mr. Thompson discusses his research on consecutively manufactured barrels…
Genes of a Feather Stick Together: Evaluating Linked Markers
This webinar originally occurred in 2018 Duration: 1 hour 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…
Just Footwear Size Does Matter
Just Footwear Size Does Matter In episode six of the IPTES season, Just Science interviews Chris Hamburg, from the Oregon State Police Forensic Services Division, and Jeff Jagmin from the WSP Crime Laboratory Division in Seattle. Our guests discuss the…
DNA Kinship Testing Webinar Series
Overview DNA kinship tests are proposed as a method within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for confirming the presence of a biological relationship between two individuals for immigration purposes, preventing human trafficking, and identifying mass disaster victims. This webinar…
Just Geeking Out on Patterns
Just Geeking Out on Patterns In episode five of the IPTES season, Just Science interviews John Vanderkolk from the Indiana State Laboratory. In a previous episode, Vanderkolk used the term Nature’s patterns, now he will discuss the philosophy behind the…
2018 NIJ R&D Symposium Series Forensic Anthropology
Morning Session I: Forensic Anthropology The NIJ Research and Development (R&D) Program funds both basic or applied R&D projects that will: (1) increase the body of knowledge to guide and inform forensic science policy and practice, or (2) result in…
2018 NIJ R&D Symposium Series Forensic Biology / DNA
Afternoon Session II: Forensic Biology / DNA The NIJ Research and Development (R&D) Program funds both basic or applied R&D projects that will: (1) increase the body of knowledge to guide and inform forensic science policy and practice, or (2)…
2018 NIJ R&D Symposium Series Trace Microbiome
Afternoon Session I: Trace Microbiome The NIJ Research and Development (R&D) Program funds both basic or applied R&D projects that will: (1) increase the body of knowledge to guide and inform forensic science policy and practice, or (2) result in the…
2018 NIJ R&D Symposium Series Controlled Substances & Toxicology
Morning Session II: Controlled Substances & Toxicology The NIJ Research and Development (R&D) Program funds both basic or applied R&D projects that will: (1) increase the body of knowledge to guide and inform forensic science policy and practice, or (2)…
Evaluate Population-Specific Sibship During Kinship Analysis
← Back to Series This webinar originally occurred in 2018 Duration: 1 hour – This webinar will provide an overview of what kinship analysis programs are currently in use and will provide an in-depth analysis of how population-based allele frequency…
Just Shoeprint Statistics
Just Shoeprint Statistics In episode four of the IPTES season, Just Science interviews Andrew Kimble, a student at Albany State University. Mr. Kimble explains his research in how incorporating statistical models in forensic shoeprint analysis can assist in identification. This…
Just A Juror’s Perception
Just A Juror’s Perception In episode three of the IPTES season, Just Science interviews Dr. Alicia Wilcox from Husson University and Heidi Eldridge from RTI International. Our guests discuss how visual aid and other tactics have been proven to help…
Evaluating the Use of DNA Analysis for Family Reunification
This webinar originally occurred on March 14th, 2018 Duration: 1 hour 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…
Just Fracture Matches
Just Fracture Matches In episode two of the 2018 IPTES season, Just Science interviews Dr. Ashraf Bastawros from Iowa State University. Dr. Bastawros discusses how fracture mechanics principles can be used with statistical learning tools to give quantitative results. Explore the mind of an engineer and hear how leveraging other disciplines can aid forensic…
Cost-Benefit Analysis of Kinship Testing Involving Siblings
This webinar originally occurred in 2018 Duration: 1 hour 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…
Regional Fentanyl Trends, Safety & Field Testing Technology
← Back to Series Regional fentanyl trends in Phoenix and Pittsburgh will be discussed along with safety concerns with unknown white powders. Handheld field testing technology will also be discussed including RAMAN and IMS. This webinar will discuss trends in…
Just Nature’s Patterns
Just Nature’s Patterns Season three, episode one of Just Science kicks off with our host, Dr. John Morgan, interviewing John Vanderkolk from the Indiana State Crime Laboratory. Vanderkolk discusses his belief in the importance of challenging your teachers and how…
2018 IPTES Plenary – Closing Keynote Speaker Adam Benforado
IPTES was designed to bring together practitioners and researchers to enhance information-sharing and promote collaboration among the impression, pattern, and trace evidence analysts, law enforcement, and legal communities. This original Live Webinar took place on 01/25/2018. The National Institute of…
2018 IPTES – Trace Evidence Breakout Day 2 PM
IPTES was designed to bring together practitioners and researchers to enhance information-sharing and promote collaboration among the impression, pattern, and trace evidence analysts, law enforcement, and legal communities. This original Live Webinar took place on 01/25/2018. The National Institute of…
2018 IPTES – Trace Evidence Breakout Day 2 AM – Part 2
IPTES was designed to bring together practitioners and researchers to enhance information-sharing and promote collaboration among the impression, pattern, and trace evidence analysts, law enforcement, and legal communities. This original Live Webinar took place on 01/25/2018. The National Institute of…
2018 IPTES – Trace Evidence Breakout Day 2 AM – Part 1
IPTES was designed to bring together practitioners and researchers to enhance information-sharing and promote collaboration among the impression, pattern, and trace evidence analysts, law enforcement, and legal communities. This original Live Webinar took place on 01/25/2018. The National Institute of…
2018 IPTES – Impression & Pattern Breakout – Day 2 PM
IPTES was designed to bring together practitioners and researchers to enhance information-sharing and promote collaboration among the impression, pattern, and trace evidence analysts, law enforcement, and legal communities. This original Live Webinar took place on 01/25/2018. The National Institute of…
2018 IPTES – Impression & Pattern Breakout Day 2 AM – Part 2
IPTES was designed to bring together practitioners and researchers to enhance information-sharing and promote collaboration among the impression, pattern, and trace evidence analysts, law enforcement, and legal communities. This original Live Webinar took place on 01/25/2018. The National Institute of…
2018 IPTES – Impression & Pattern Breakout Day 2 AM – Part 1
IPTES was designed to bring together practitioners and researchers to enhance information-sharing and promote collaboration among the impression, pattern, and trace evidence analysts, law enforcement, and legal communities. This original Live Webinar took place on 01/25/2018. The National Institute of…
2018 IPTES – Trace Evidence Breakout Day 1 PM
IPTES was designed to bring together practitioners and researchers to enhance information-sharing and promote collaboration among the impression, pattern, and trace evidence analysts, law enforcement, and legal communities. This original Live Webinar took place on 01/24/2018. The National Institute of…
2018 IPTES – Impression & Pattern Breakout Day 1 PM
IPTES was designed to bring together practitioners and researchers to enhance information-sharing and promote collaboration among the impression, pattern, and trace evidence analysts, law enforcement, and legal communities. This original Live Webinar took place on 01/24/2018. The National Institute of…
2018 IPTES Plenary – Statistics & Testimony From Practitioner
IPTES was designed to bring together practitioners and researchers to enhance information-sharing and promote collaboration among the impression, pattern, and trace evidence analysts, law enforcement, and legal communities.This original Live Webinar took place on 01/24/2018. The National Institute of Justice…
2018 IPTES Plenary – Opening Remarks & Statistical Approaches
IPTES was designed to bring together practitioners and researchers to enhance information-sharing and promote collaboration among the impression, pattern, and trace evidence analysts, law enforcement, and legal communities. This original Live Webinar took place on 01/24/2018. The National Institute of…
Investigative DNA Testing Implementation
← Back to Series 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. Currently, forensic…
Webinar: A Close Look at 3D Microscopy for Firearms Identification [Archival]
Firearms identification is undergoing a major change in capability with the adoption of optical topography, which provides a 3D view of the surface of a bullet or cartridge case to capture the full range of subclass and individual characteristics. The…
Collaboration in the Fight Against Fentanyl
← Back to Series This webinar will identify partnerships and innovative efforts in the whole of government approach to identify and interdict fentanyl analogs, as well as to heighten awareness and strengthen legal mechanisms for dealing with the illicit fentanyl…
DNA Methylation-Based Age Prediction & Body Fluid ID
← Back to Series In this webinar you will discover how multiplex assays targeting CpG sites can be used to predict the age of an individual and determine the body fluid of origin of a sample. The ability to estimate…
The NC Statewide Medical Examiner System Laboratory Approach
← Back to Series This webinar will focus on the North Carolina Medical Examiner System and the toxicology laboratory that serves the system. Included will be information on the changing landscape of death certification and changes to the laboratory approach…
Emerging Forensic Research Webinar Series
Overview The goal of this webinar series is to disseminate novel research that is being completed within the forensic community. This series will be the platform for forensic research dissemination and will include both active and completed research projects. Research…
The Evolution Of SNPs As A Forensic Marker
← Back to Series This webinar will review the history of SNPs as forensic markers and discuss the design and development of large SNP multiplexes for use on massively parallel sequencing platforms for forensic and missing person identification. The use…
The Opioid Overdose Epidemic in America: CDC Response
← Back to Series In this Webinar, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will present an overview of the opioid overdose epidemic and its public health burden, followed by a description of the multi-faceted public health approach. Drug…
The Industry’s Role in Responding to the Opioid Crisis
This webinar will describe the role that the reference material manufacturer plays by providing the tools needed to respond to the current opioid epidemic. Whether by rapidly providing authentic reference standards of novel emerging drugs of abuse or the analytical…
Just Case Studies: Two Murders, One Trace Fiber
Two Murders, One Trace Fiber In episode eight, Season two, Just Science interviews Dr. Jan De Kinder, from the National institute of Forensic science and criminology in the Belgium Department of Justice. Dr. De Kinder explores how trace evidence was a…
Predict Human Appearance From DNA Focusing On Pigmentation
Wednesday, October 25, 2017 10:00:00 AM EDT – 12:00:00 PM EDT Duration: 2 hour(s) Principles, methods and applications of DNA-based prediction of human appearance traits for forensic and anthropological use with specific insights into eye, hair, and skin colour prediction…
Just Case Studies: From Teeth to Trafficking
From Teeth to Trafficking In Episode Seven, Season two, Just Science interviews Dr. John Kenney, who is also a member of the American Academy of Forensic Science, during the Cradle to Cane Conference held in Charleston South Carolina. Dr. Kenny…
Just Case Studies: A Gruesome Murder in Mesa
A Gruesome Murder in Mesa In episode six, season two, Just Science interviews Kimberly Meza from Mesa police Department during the annual ASCLD symposium held in Dallas, Texas. Kimberly describes how a blood spatter analyst takes in a scene, especially…
Just Case Studies: Atlanta Olympic Bombing
Atlanta Olympic Bombing Season two, episode five of Just Science interviews John Collins during the annual ASCLD symposium in Dallas, Texas. This episode takes us back to a time when the United States was hosting the summer Olympics, in Atlanta,…
Making The Case For Prevention: Fighting The Opioid Epidemic
← Back to Series This webinar focuses on universal and primary prevention efforts to address prescription drug misuse and abuse; and the use of innovative analytic techniques to evaluate their effectiveness. The current response to the opioid epidemic has appropriately…
Opioids and Death Investigation: A “Perfect Storm”
← Back to Series The scope of the opioid epidemic presents unprecedented challenges to the medical examiner and coroner community. This webinar will explore the intersection of the opioid epidemic with the work of America’s medical examiners and coroners. The…
Strategies & Considerations for Trace Detection of Fentalogs
← Back to Series This webinar provides strategies & considerations for the trace detection of fentanyl and its analogs. The focus will be on TD-DART-MS and IMS analysis as well as understanding the fate of fentanyl residues that are exposed…
OPIOID CRISIS – A PUBLIC HEALTH ENEMY WEBINAR SERIES
Rates of opioid use and misuse have reached epidemic proportions and are impacting many aspects of both criminal justice and forensic sciences programs. Opioid addiction is the driving force behind this increase in use with more than 2.5 million Americans…
FORENSIC DNA: THE BEGINNING OF THE SNP ERA
The field of forensics is constantly evolving. While short tandem repeats (STRs) are currently used in all forensic DNA laboratories for human identification, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have emerged as new markers of interest. These new markers present several benefits,…
Record Linkage of CODIS Profiles with SNP Genotypes
← Back to Series This webinar will describe a method for assessing whether a set of genotypes at the CODIS microsatellite markers is drawn from the same person as a set of genome-wide SNP genotypes. Forensic-genetic work in the United…
Opioid Substances: A Threat to Animal Welfare & Safety
← Back to Series The opioid crisis has impacted animal welfare and safety several ways. This webinar will review risks to pets of opioid abusers and working K9s and will make recommendations to help keep K9s safe, including risk mitigation…
Dreamland – Sam Quinones Explores America’s Opiate Epidemic
← Back to Series Sam Quinones is a Los Angeles-based freelance journalist and author of three books of narrative nonfiction. His latest book is Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic (Bloomsbury, 2015), for which he traveled across the…
Fentalogs – Pharmacology, Toxicology & Analytical Approaches
← Back to Series We will review the chemistry of fentanyl, its analogs and precursors, their pharmacology and relative potency, and approaches to identifying novel fentanyl analogs in forensic toxicology casework. Fentanyl and its analogs, sometimes called “The Fentalogs”, are…
Webinar: Automotive Paint Binders Using Infrared Spectroscopy
This lecture describes the identification of automotive paint binders using infrared spectroscopy, with an emphasis on key absorptions to seek when examining such spectra. Infrared spectroscopy is one of the main tools used by the forensic paint examiner to obtain…
Opioids and the Drain on Laboratory Resources
← Back to Series This webinar uses data from Project FORESIGHT to examine the effects of the opioid crisis on the demands for laboratory resources and the direct and indirect effects on the work of forensic laboratories. The dramatic increase…
Just Hairy Isotopes
Just Hairy Isotopes In episode ten of Just Science, funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence , we spoke with Dr. Gwyneth Gordon, from Arizona State University. Dr. Gordon and her team have developed methods to use the isotopic abundance…
Identify Synthetic Opioids using Ambient Ionization TOF-MS
← Back to Series This webinar will present the results of the evaluation of Direct Sample Analysis Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry to provide rapid identification of eighteen fentanyl analogs and related synthetic opioid. As of March 2016, the Drug Enforcement Administration…
Just Blood Spatter
Just Blood Spatter In episode nine of Just Science, funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence , we spoke with Dr. Marc Smith, from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Smith’s NIJ funded research in blood spatter has connected computational…
2016 National Institute of Justice Forensic Science Research and Development Symposium
This report was published in RTI Press, a global publisher of peer-reviewed, open-access publications on a broad range of topics. The areas of focus reflect RTI’s multidisciplinary research, our expertise in social and laboratory sciences, and our extensive international activities. Since…
Conference Proceedings: 2015 Impression, Pattern, and Trace Evidence Symposium
This report was published in RTI Press, a global publisher of peer-reviewed, open-access publications on a broad range of topics. The areas of focus reflect RTI’s multidisciplinary research, our expertise in social and laboratory sciences, and our extensive international activities. Since…
HHRRC – A Review of Forensic Anthropology in Mexico
The webinar originally occurred on June 2nd, 2017 Duration: 1 hour This webinar provided an overview of the development of forensic anthropology worldwide, but above all in Mexico, and how our team has adapted by means of feedback and dialogue…
HHRRC – Stable Isotope Forensics & Unknown Persons Investigations
This webinar originally occurred on May 24, 2017 Duration: 2 hours This webinar discussed applications of stable isotope analysis for predicting region of origin of unidentified border crossers found within the United States. Participants will understand the applications and limitations…
Furensics – Animal DNA in Criminal Investigations
Thursday, June 29, 2017 1:00:00 PM ET – 3:00:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour(s) This webinar provides an overview of the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory Forensic Unit at UC Davis and the types of cases encountered in a non-human DNA laboratory.…
ASCLD Webinar Series: DNA Standards and Guidelines Part 2
Thursday, May 25, 2017 1:00:00 PM ET – 3:00:00 PM ET Duration: 2 hours(s) Forensic DNA Analysis, and in particular interpreting complex DNA mixtures and calculating statistics, can be challenging. The technology is ever more sensitive and analysts are testing…
HHRRC – Analysis and Conservation of Human Remains in Cambodia
The webinar originally occurred on May 16th, 2017 Duration: 1 hour This presentation provides an introduction to the work conducted in Cambodia to analyze/preserve human remains from violence committed by the Khmer Rouge. Specifically the site of Krang Ta Chan,…
2015 NIJ Forensic Science R&D Symposium
Overview The Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) assisted the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) in hosting the annual NIJ Forensic Science Research and Development (R&D) Symposium on February 17, 2015 at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) meeting…
Utilization of Organic Constituents into GSR Analysis
Suzanne Bell of West Virginia University (WVU, Departments of Chemistry and Forensic Science) presents on the utilization of organic constituents into gunshot residue analysis. This innovative technology involves experimental and modeling studies used to elucidate characteristics of skin permeation of…
ASCLD Webinar Series: DNA Standards and Guidelines Part 1
This webinar was targeted to DNA Supervisors, DNA Technical Leaders, Quality Mangers, and DNA Analysts. There was also a question and answer period after the presentation. Forensic DNA Analysis, and in particular interpreting complex DNA mixtures and calculating statistics, can…
HHRRC – Nerve Agent Uptake and Detection in Human Bone
The webinar originally occurred on May 9th, 2017 Duration: 1 hour This presentation discusses experimental tests of a model for drug uptake by human bone and explores how the results may be applied to detect nerve agent exposure from human…
2013 R&D: Straight to the Bone: Advances in Forensic Anthropology
This archival portion of the 2013 R&D Seminar Series covers the following presentations: • Improving Sex Estimation from Crania using 3-Dimensional CT Scans – Natalie Shirley • Independent Validation Test of Microscopic Saw Mark Analysis – Jennifer Love • A Subadult…
2016 NSAPS: Panel 3 – Investigating Sexual Assault Webinar [Archival]
The National Institute of Justice, through its Forensic Technology Center of Excellence hosted “Looking Ahead: The National Sexual Assault Policy Symposium” on September 8-9, 2016, in Washington D.C. The panel highlighted the complexities of investigating sexual assault cases and promising…
Developing Probe Capture NGS Systems for Forensics
A targeted probe capture based method of enrichment for clonal, massively parallel sequencing of the mitochondrial genome and nuclear SNPs can address the challenge of analyzing complex and low level mixtures, highly degraded and limited DNA samples. Funding for this…
Basics of Microbiology as they Apply to Forensics
↩ Back to Series Dr. Bruce Budowle, of the University of North Texas Health Science Center, and Dr. Dana Kadavy, Director of Biological Sciences at Signature Science, LLC, presented on microbiology, pathogens, human microbiome, and genetic engineering/synthetic biology. Participants will gain…
Using Forensics & Biometrics on Human Trafficking
Modern day global realities are that millions of people are immigrants, refugees, enslaved in some form of human trafficking, or otherwise susceptible to conflict or acts of terror. There is no simplistic solution to address these issues, as matters of…
Understanding Basic Statistical Concepts: Fingerprints
Fingerprint conclusions are expert judgments. These specific types of judgments may be more appropriately termed as inferences, or subjective probabilities, where frequency rates have not been able to be calculated. For over a hundred years researchers have attempted to mathematically…
The Emperor’s New Clothes: A Guide to Latent Print Testimony
In the tale of the Emperor’s New Clothes, a vain emperor commissions a new set of robes that he is told will be invisible to anyone who does not deserve his position, or is extraordinarily stupid or foolish. Of course,…
Genome ID Forum 2014 – The Critical Role of SNPs in the Future of Forensics
Originally presented at the 2014 Genome ID Forum, this presentation appraises the potential value of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) as applied to forensic analysis, including ancestry inference, phenotypic inference and individual identification. The discussion focuses strongly on the relevance of…
The Crime Scene Is Fluid: Land to Water-Based Scenes
This presentation also transitions into the investigation of deaths that occur in water. Deaths in the water, whether at home or on a lake, etc., are generally thought of as accidents. A major focus of this lecture is to move…
The Basics of Error Rates in Pattern Evidence
Originally presented at the 2015 Impression, Pattern and Trace Evidence Symposium. One of the Daubert prongs of admissibility for scientific expert testimony is the known or potential error rate of a technique. Thus, examiners are often asked about the discipline…
The Abuse of E-Cigs, the Impact On Criminal Justice
E-cigarettes are used as alternatives to traditional cigarettes, for recreational activity, and as a delivery device for other licit or illicit drugs. This forum discussed the problem to public health/criminal justice, how e-cigs work, and other research. They are filled…
Technical Advances in the Visual Documentation of Crime Scenes
Introduction: Michelle Peace, Lyndsay Durham Context of Documentation: Marilyn Miller Practitioner overviews of each scanning technology: SceneVision – Panorama: Virginia Department of Forensic Science Panoscan: Roanoke and Arlington County Police Departments Leica ScanStation C10: Virginia State Police Leica Comparison Presentation:…
2013 R&D: Tarnished Gold Standard – Part II
This archival portion of the 2013 R&D Seminar Series covers the following presentations: • “Simultaneous Detection of mtDNA and a Nuclear Pseudogene Insert using Common Forensic mtDNA Primer Sets and Deep Sequencing” – Mark Wilson • “Towards Genotyping Single DNA…
2013 R&D: Tarnished Gold Standard – Part I
This archival portion of the 2013 R&D Seminar Series covers the following presentations: • “What I Thought I knew about Ancient and Degraded DNA, but Have Come to Learn” – Brian Kemp • “Addressing the Quality and Quantity: The Role…
Swipes, Wipes and Transfer Impressions
Swipes, wipes and transfer impressions are the only bloodstain patterns not created by blood in flight (with the exception of flowing blood). The patterns adhere to Locard’s principle which states that when two objects come in contact with each other…
R&D 2014 – Fundamental Forensic Science Research-Part II
This archival portion of the 2014 R&D Seminar Series covers the following presentations: • Quantitative Metrics of Friction Ridge Detail Derived from Information Theory by Thomas Busey • Definition of the Concept of Sufficiency in Latent Print Examination by Cedric…
R&D 2014 – Fundamental Forensic Science Research – Part I
This archival portion of the 2014 R&D Seminar Series covers the following presentations: • Review on some Fluid Dynamics Aspects of Bloodstain Pattern Analysis – Daniel Attinger • From Basic Research to Routine Use in the Courtroom: Elemental Analysis and…
Webinar: Structuring Best Practices– Practitioner Stakeholder Meeting [Archival]
At the request of the National Institute of Justice, the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) leads a comprehensive federal effort to organize and transfer knowledge and best practices of sexual assault nurse examiners, sexual assault forensic examiners, and collaborative…
Webinar: Special Topics in GSR [Archival]
This webinar is broken into two sections. The first by Ms. Dana Greely, Forensic Scientist with the Hamilton County Coroner’s Laboratory in Cincinnati, OH, titled “Shooting Through Closed Windows: A Study of Gunshot Residue”. Picture this: A man is sitting…
Shooting Reconstruction: 4 Elements of Trajectory
A key part of any shooting incident reconstruction is the determination of a projectile’s trajectory through items at the scene. The path of a bullet hole has 4 main elements that require measurement, estimation, or other determination where possible. Variables…
Science, Law and Politics of Cold Case Investigations
What do the JonBenet Ramsey murder, the BTK killings and the Centennial Olympic Park bombing have in common? When does a criminal case go “cold,” and what does it take to “thaw it out” again? At a time of laboratory…
Webinar: SANE/SAFE/SART Federal Stakeholder Meeting [Archival]
On May 14, 2014 the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) convened a federal stakeholder meeting entitled, “Organizing and Transferring SANE/SAFE/SART Knowledge and Best Practices” at the RTI location in Washington D.C. The FTCoE leads a comprehensive federal effort to…
Removing PCR Artifacts in Forensic DNA Analysis
This webinar presented a new method that removes confounding PCR artifacts in Forensic DNA Analysis using high accuracy Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS). The use of short-tandem repeats (STR) in forensic DNA analysis has been successful in most situations. However, this…
Webinar: Regioisomer Differentiation for Substances Using GC-IR [Archival]
Forensic examiners are called upon to conduct detailed chemical analyses of drugs, precursors, and related chemicals that may be present with imposter substances, isomers, or other compounds that may interfere with analysis. Gas chromotograph mass spectrometry (GCMS) has been the…
Genome ID Forum 2014 – Proteomics: Multiplex Assay to Identify Biological Stains
Originally presented at the 2014 Genome ID Forum, this archived presentation discusses the development and validation of a rapid multiplex assay for the identification of biological stains using comparative proteomics. Current serological techniques, although historically utilized and relied upon heavily…
Webinar: Project FORESIGHT Overview [Archival]
Participating laboratories have been able to increase efficiency, reduce turnover, increase internal satisfaction and corresponding compensation, and reconsider strategic priorities for enhanced contributions to the justice system. In this webinar, Project FORESIGHT is detailed along with several success stories and…
2013 R&D: Postmortem Interval and Molecular Autopsy – Part II [Archival]
This archival portion of the 2013 R&D Seminar Series covers the following presentations: Applications of Curvilinear Development Modeling for the Blow Fly Lucilia Sericota – Leon Higley Investigating Unexplained Deaths through Molecular Autopsies – Yingying Tang Funding for this Forensic…
2013 R&D: Postmortem Interval and Molecular Autopsy – Part I [Archival]
This archival portion of the 2013 R&D Seminar Series covers the following presentations: Microbial Community Change Associated with Decomposing Corpses – Rob Knight Using Differential RNA Degradation to Estimate an Extended Postmortem Interval – Joshua Moore Funding for this Forensic…
Webinar: Pills & Particles – Toxicology and Linking Trace Evidence [Archival]
This archival portion of the 2013 R&D Seminar Series covers the following presentations: • Prediction of Drug Interactions with Methadone, Buprenorphine and Oxycodone from in vitro Inhibition of Metabolism – David Moody • Pattern Recognition Assisted Infrared Library Searching to…
Webinar: SANE/SAFE/SART Stakeholder Meeting [Archival]
At the request of the National Institute of Justice, the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) leads a comprehensive federal effort to organize and transfer knowledge and best practices of sexual assault nurse examiners, sexual assault forensic examiners, and collaborative…
Webinar: R&D 2014 – Novel Techniques and Tools for Forensic Analysis – Part II [Archival]
These archival presentations are part of a Seminar Series from the presenters that were involved in the 2014 NIJ Grantees Conference held in Seattle, Washington. This session hosted the following presenters: • Fluorescent metal Indicators for the Presumptive Identification of…
Webinar: R&D 2014 – Novel Techniques and Tools for Forensic Analysis – Part I [Archival]
This archival portion of the 2014 R&D Seminar Series covers the following presentations: Combining Strontium and Oxygen Isotope Ratios of Hair for Human Provenancing from Brett Tipple. The Evaluation of Laser Diode Thermal Desorption (LDTD) for High Throughput Analysis of…
Next Generation DNA Technologies
The Forensic Technology Center of Excellence, with Participating Partners- University of North Texas Health Sciences Center, held the Technology Transition Workshop: A DNA Revolution – Next Generation Technologies The goal of this workshop was to disseminate new and innovative technical…
New Paradigm for Fingerprint Reporting
In November 2015, the Defense Forensic Science Center (DFSC) issued an Information Paper announcing the decision to cease the use of the terms “individualization” and “identification” in latent print technical reports and expert witness testimony.This webinar provided an opportunity for…
Webinar: Genome ID Forum 2014 – National Commission on Forensic Science & OSAC – 2014 Update [Archival]
Originally presented at the 2014 Genome ID Forum, John Butler from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provides an update on the current activities of the National Commission on Forensic Science (NCFS) and Organization of Scientific Area Committees…
MPS IV – Validation and Applications
← Back to Series Massively parallel sequencing (MPS) is an exciting technology that holds promise for enhancing the capabilities of the forensic DNA analyst. However, there are several challenges that confront implementation of an MPS system into the crime laboratory,…
MPS III – Bioinformatics
← Back to Series Massively parallel sequencing (MPS) is an exciting technology that holds promise for enhancing the capabilities of the forensic DNA analyst. However, there are several challenges that confront implementation of an MPS system into the crime laboratory.…
MPS II – The Genetic Marker Potential
← Back to Series Massively parallel sequencing (MPS) is an exciting technology that holds promise for enhancing the capabilities of the forensic DNA analyst. However, there are several challenges that confront implementation of an MPS system into the crime laboratory,…
MPS I – Understanding the Basic Technology
← Back to Series Massively parallel sequencing (MPS) is an exciting technology that holds promise for enhancing the capabilities of the forensic DNA analyst. However, there are several challenges that confront implementation of an MPS system into the crime laboratory.…
R&D 2014 – Models in Forensic DNA & Pathology Part II
This archival portion of the 2014 R&D Seminar Series covers the following presentations: • New Pediatric Head Injury Assessment Tool for Possible Child Abuse Cases Considering Subject-Specific Child Head Anatomy – Dr. Jingwen Hu • Investigation of the Impact of…
R&D 2014 – Models in Forensic DNA & Pathology – Part I
This archival portion of the 2014 R&D Seminar Series covers the following presentations: • Modeling 3D Facial Shape from DNA – Dr. Mark Shriver • Pediatric Fracture Printing: Creating a Science of Statistical Fracture Signature Analysis – Dr. Todd Fenton…
Webinar: Managing Customer Expectations and Education [Archival]
This archived webinar is the third in ASCLD’s webinar series, “Confronting Crime Laboratory Backlogs: Causes, Solutions, Expectations.” Laboratories can better manage customer expectations and work collaboratively with them to economize and prioritize the delivery of forensic science services in their…
Magneto-Optical Sensor Roundtable
The discovery of more effective methods to detect and restore erased markings in firearms is of great interest to firearm examiners, in particular the invention of new nondestructive methods. Magneto optical (MO) sensor technology may address this need. Earlier in…
Genome ID Forum 2014 – Legal Perspective on the Adoption of Advanced Technologies
Originally presented at the 2014 Genome ID Forum, Ted Hunt, chief trial attorney in the prosecuting attorney’s office in Kansas City, Missouri, brings a fresh legal perspective to addressing the adoption of advanced DNA analysis technologies for forensic crime laboratories. In…
Learning about Microbial Forensics
↩ Back to Series Dr. Bruce Budowle of the University of North Texas Health Science Center, presented on the basics of microbial forensics, epidemiology and the goals of investigation pertaining to biological crimes and bioterrorism. Participants gained a better understanding of…
Latent Fingerprints: Reducing Erroneous Exclusions
This presentation discusses reducing erroneous exclusions in latent fingerprints. The exclusion decision is a fairly recent change in latent print comparisons, and the discipline is still struggling with how to handle exclusions. Erroneous exclusions are being discovered with surprising frequency…
Latent Fingerprints: Developing Methods and New Technology
The first presentation given by Mark Dadmun is titled: Developing Methods to Improve the Quality and Efficiency of Latent Fingermark Development by Superglue Fuming. The second presentation given by Igor Pacheco and Brian Cerchiai titled: A Research Study for the…
Webinar: Investigating Sexual Violence – Policy Forum: Emerging Solutions and Best Practices [Archival]
This is the archival version of a two-hour Policy and Practices Forum which brings together experienced and knowledgeable subject matter experts in various fields contributing to the investigation and processing of cases involving sexual violence. The investigation of sexual violence…
Webinar: Interpretation of Lubricant Evidence [Archival]
There has been a marked increase in the use of lubricants in sexual assault crimes in recent years. Lubricants may be used to facilitate an act, be present in the background of samples, or be transferred due to the use…
Webinar: How to Increase your Staff without Increasing Budget [Archival]
This archival webinar, the sixth in ASCLD’s webinar series, Confronting Crime Laboratory Backlogs: Causes, Solutions, Expectations. This webinar covers the methods for increasing your staff without increasing your budget. These methods have been proven successful within a state government entity.…
Genome ID Forum 2014 – HD SNP Array for Forensic Casework
Originally presented at the 2014 Genome ID Forum, Dr. Sandra Close presents her latest research, the application of high density SNP array technology applied to forensic casework. Dr. Close presents an overview of the platform, including chemistry, assay and interpretation,…
Fluorescence of Blood Impressions with Acid Yellow
Blood impressions are associated with serious crimes against people, and are frequently recorded in the blood of either the perpetrator or the victim, often establishing a close connection in time between the two. Funding for this Forensic Technology Center of…
Fingerprint Identification: Reliability and Accuracy
New technology is constantly being tested by Researchers and Developers to help this vital tool move forward in today’s society. These new technologies will assist in furthering the accuracy and reliability of using latent fingerprints. Our featured presentations for this…
Familial DNA Searching: Current Approaches – Part IV
This four-part panel discussion series will elucidate the current landscape of policies and procedures addressing familial DNA searching. Part IV In this particular session, the discussion focused around current technical protocols including software considerations, candidate thresholds derived by likelihood ratio…
Familial DNA Searching: Current Approaches – Part III
This four-part panel discussion series will elucidate the current landscape of policies and procedures addressing familial DNA searching. Part III In this particular session, the discussion focused around the process of investigative follow up from these leads including costs and…
Familial DNA Searching: Current Approaches – Part II
This four-part panel discussion series will elucidate the current landscape of policies and procedures addressing familial DNA searching. Part II In this particular session, the discussion topic was focused around current existing protocols and specifically address questions such as: what…
Familial DNA Searching: Current Approaches – Part I
This four-part panel discussion series will elucidate the current landscape of policies and procedures addressing familial DNA searching. Part I These discussions were used to generate a report designed to educate legal professionals, policy makers, law enforcement and forensic laboratory…
Familial DNA Database Search System
The Familial DNA Database Search System is a newly developed fully web enabled secure database search system to allow for DNA profile comparisons including those that define familial relationships. This system was developed in collaboration with practitioners from the Denver…
False-Positive and False-Negative Error Rates in Cartridge
This webinar was presented to discuss the results and implications of an error rate study of cartridge case comparisons. The study was designed to measure false positive and false negative error rates of examiner comparisons of fired cartridge cases. The…
Webinar: Expansion of Microbial Forensics [Archival]
↩ Back to Series Dr. Bruce Budowle, of the University of North Texas Health Science Center, and Dr. Heather Jordan, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences at Mississippi State University, presented on biocrime, postmortem interval and agroterrorism. Participants will gain a better…
Webinar: Evaluating Transfers of Materials and their Significance [Archival]
This archived one-hour webinar covers basic principles of trace evidence that serve as decision-making tools for forensic scientists to use in examining, sampling, testing and evaluating associative evidence. How strong is an association when evidence is being examined, and what…
Error & Uncertainty in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis
This presentation provided a general introduction to the concepts of error and uncertainty as well as the differences between them. It will then apply these concepts to quantitative and qualitative aspects of bloodstain pattern analysis. Error and uncertainty are two…
Genome ID Forum 2014 – Emerging Technologies for Human Remains Identification
Originally presented at the 2014 Genome ID Forum, an overview of the Laboratory’s new Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) instrumentation and protocol development is discussed including experimental design utilizing multiple forensic markers and the impact on sample processing. Funding for this…
Webinar: Efficiency Improvements [Archival]
This archived webinar, the fifth in ASCLD’s webinar series, Confronting Crime Laboratory Backlogs: Causes, Solutions, Expectations, covers specific examples of efficiency concepts applied to real forensic case workflow in a full service crime laboratory. In this presentation you will learn…
Webinar: Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault (DFSA) Workshop [Archival]
This is the archival version of the two-day workshop hosted by the SOFT Continuing Education and Drug-Facilitated Crimes Committees with the DC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault on August 11-12, 2014 in Washington DC. The…
DNA RADAR™ Innovations in Human Identification
DNA RADAR™ is an innovative and proprietary NGS platform that provides a complete human identification solution including CODIS and ENFSI markers, phenotype markers for blood type, hair and eye color, ancestry and prediction of SURNAME. Funding for this Forensic Technology…
Webinar: Developing a Statewide Approach to Backlog Management [Archival]
This archival is the final webinar in this ASCLD’s webinar series on Confronting Crime Laboratory Backlogs: Causes, Solutions, Expectations. This webinar takes participants from defining their customers and demonstrating how to establishing two way relationships with them, to developing business…
Developing a Dynamic Model of the DNA Lab Process
This webinar detailed the development of a model that synthesizes, in silico, allele, stutter and noise signal generated from stochastic variation induced by the forensic DNA laboratory process. Funding for this Forensic Technology Center of Excellence event has been provided…
Demystifying Vacuum Metal Deposition [Archival]
This course is directed to Crime Scene Investigators, Bureaus of Identification, and Forensic Science Laboratory Examiners. The information will help departments justify the cost of a Vacuum Metal Deposition and demonstrate to the fingerprint industry that VMD has been one…
Crime Scene Imaging: A Practitioner’s Perspective
This is an archival version of a web based panel discussion of forensic practitioners. These practitioners have adopted and implemented one of three panoramic crime scene imaging technologies, SceneVision-Panorama, Panoscan MK-3, and Leica ScanStationC10. The goal of this event it…
Webinar: Crime Lab Backlogs – The Impact on Justice Policy Forum [Archival]
This is the archival version of a Policy Forum presented by the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence focusing on the key factors playing a role in our nations crime laboratory backlog. Forensic science laboratories are under siege. Ever-increasing volumes of…
Collecting Footwear and Tire Impressions in Snow
From footwear to tire to snowmobile impressions, snow impressions can provide extremely valuable evidence in helping to resolve criminal investigations. Unfortunately, photographing and obtaining a cast of a snow impression is often a challenge for the crime scene examiner. This…
Webinar: Genome ID Forum 2014 – Challenges to Implementation of New Technologies at North Carolina State Crime Laboratory [Archival]
Originally presented at the 2014 Genome ID Forum, this presentation by John Byrd, the director of the North Carolina State Crime Laboratory, discusses the challenges and changes the crime laboratory has experienced since 2009. Factors such as caseload volume, salary…
Case Acceptance Policies and Guidelines Webinar [Archival]
This archived webinar, the fourth in ASCLD’s webinar series – Confronting Crime Laboratory Backlogs: Causes, Solutions, Expectations – covers laboratory case management practices and the policies that are put into place to control the intake of evidence. A significant component…
Bloodstain Documentation and Collection Methods
At some point in their careers, every crime scene responder has encountered a scene where the blood present is “everywhere” and there is no clear way to begin. That feeling can be extremely overwhelming. This training will provide attendees with…
Webinar: Best Practices – Sexual Assault Investigations Policy Forum [Archival]
This forum focused on emerging techniques and developments associated with evidence collection training, evidence analysis utilizing Y-STR capabilities and victim-centric care approaches (e.g., understanding the neurobiology of the victim in sexual assault). Presentations in this forum discussed development of best…
Webinar: Best Practices in Sexual Assault Cases [Archival]
In the ongoing struggle to protect would-be victims from sexual predators, great advances are being made in forensic nursing research and practice, from strangulation assessment to the photographic documentation of injuries and beyond. Valerie Krasneski-Schreiber, unit director of the UPMC…
ASCLD Webinar Series: FBI Allele Frequency – Managers & Legal Overview
Crime Laboratories have earned a position of public trust over time through providing reliable quality results. Keeping public trust includes being self-correcting once an issue is discovered. The Federal Bureau of Investigation allele frequency amendments is an opportunity to demonstrate…
ASCLD Webinar Series: FBI Allele Frequency Amendments – Technical Discussion
Crime Laboratories have earned a position of public trust over time through providing reliable quality results. Keeping public trust includes being self-correcting once an issue is discovered. The Federal Bureau of Investigation allele frequency amendments is an opportunity to demonstrate…
ASCLD Webinar Series: Toxicology Discipline [Archival]
Archival Version – This course serves as an overview of the field of forensic toxicology for the crime laboratory administration. This webinar will provide non-toxicologists, who manage this discipline as part of a forensic laboratory or supervise members within this…
ASCLD Webinar Series: Latent Prints
Archival Version – This course served as an overview of the Latent Prints discipline for the crime laboratory administration. This webinar provided non-LP analysts, who manage this discipline as part of a forensic laboratory or supervise members within this field,…
ASCLD Webinar Series: Firearms
Archival Version – This course serves as an overview of the field of firearms examination for the crime laboratory administration. This webinar will provide non-firearms examiners, who supervise members within this field, a basic overview of the analysis performed, discipline…
ASCLD Webinar Series: DNA Discipline
Archival Version – This course serves as an overview of the DNA discipline for the crime laboratory administration. This webinar provided non-DNA analysts who manage this discipline as part of a forensic laboratory or supervise members within this field, a…
ASCLD Webinar Series: Digital Multimedia Evidence
Archival Version – This course serves as an overview of the Digital Multimedia Evidence discipline for the crime laboratory administration. This webinar will provide non-DME analysts who manage this discipline as part of a forensic laboratory or supervise members within…
ASCLD Webinar Series: Controlled Substances [Archival]
Archival Version – ASCLD Webinar Series Part III: This course serves as an overview of the controlled substances discipline for the crime laboratory administration. This course serves as an overview of the controlled substances discipline for the crime laboratory administration.…
ASCLD Webinar Series: Rapid DNA, the QAS and NDIS Part I
The American Society of Crime Lab Directors, along with RTI International, have produced this webinar series designed to investigate the validation, current use, and future implementation of Rapid DNA. This is the first archival of this three-part series that was…
ASCLD Webinar Series: Rapid DNA Part III
The American Society of Crime Lab Directors, along with RTI International, have produced this webinar series designed to investigate the validation, current use, and future implementation of Rapid DNA. This third webinar in the Rapid DNA Webinar series focuses on…
ASCLD Webinar Series: Rapid DNA Part II
The American Society of Crime Lab Directors, along with RTI, have produced this webinar series designed to investigate the validation, current use, and future implementation of Rapid DNA. This is the second webinar in a three part series. The presenters…
ASCLD Webinar Series: DNA Mixtures Technical Overview
Complex DNA mixtures from more than two individuals and/or profiles amplified with low-level quantities of DNA, can be challenging for the analyst to interpret. The FBI’s Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM) crafted a new version of the…
ASCLD Webinar Series: DNA Mixtures Managers Overview
Complex DNA mixtures from more than two individuals and/or profiles amplified with low-level quantities of DNA, can be challenging for the analyst to interpret. Dr. Coble first provided an overview of the technical issues with mixture interpretation including statistical analyses.…
Genome ID Forum 2014 – Applications of Emerging Technologies NIST
Originally presented at the 2014 Genome ID Forum, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) SRMs includes the PCR based DNA profiling standard which covers 51 autosomal and 17 Y chromosome markers, mitochondrial DNA sequencing standards and the human…
2017 NIJ R&D Series Impression, Pattern, & Trace Evidence
Morning Session I – Impression, Pattern & Trace Evidence Speakers & Presentations for this section listed below: Welcome Remarks – Gerald LaPorte, NIJ Opening Remarks – Greg Dutton The Fluid Dynamics of Droplet Impact on Inclined Surfaces with Application to…
2017 NIJ R&D Series Forensic Biology & DNA
Morning Session II – Forensic Biology & DNA Speakers & Presentations for this section listed below: Forensic DNA Phenotyping of Quantitative Pigment in Human Physical Appearance Prediction – Susan Walsh, Indiana University Proteomic Analysis of Menstrual Blood for Forensic Identification…
Webinar: 2017 NIJ R&D Series Controlled Substances & Toxicology [Archival]
Afternoon Session II – Controlled Substances & Toxicology Speakers & Presentations for this section listed below: Novel Blood Protein Modification Assay for Retrospective Detection of Drug Exposure – Anthony DeCaprio, Florida International University Stability of Synthetic Cathinones in Biological Evidence…
2017 NIJ R&D Series Anthropology & Microbial Forensics
Archival Version – The NIJ Forensic Science Research and Development Symposium was a free and open meeting where attendees learned about NIJ-funded research across a variety of forensic science areas. Afternoon Session I – Anthropology & Microbial Forensics Speakers & Presentations…