Introduction

Emerging Research in Forensic Biology

Emerging Research in Forensic Biology

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This webinar originally occurred on April 9, 2019
Duration: 1.5 hours

Overview

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 Forensic Sciences in the United States: A Path Forward.”

In this installment of the Emerging Research series, three researchers will present on their current research in the forensic biology discipline. Dr. Utkan Demirci from Stanford University will present on his work about developing a confirmatory test for sperm in sexual assault samples using a microfluidic-integrated cell phone imaging system. Dr. Brian Kemp from the University of Oklahoma will discuss his research dealing with the impact of standard laboratory procedures on aged, degraded, and/or low copy number DNA. Finally, Dr. Bruce McCord from Florida International University will discuss the development of a PCR based multiplex for the simultaneous analysis of age and body fluid identification.

Detailed Learning Objectives

  1. Overview of three NIJ-supported emerging research projects in the forensic biology discipline and their progress
  2. Potential impact of these emerging forensic biology research projects to the forensic community
  3. Discussion of next steps and transition of this research into the forensic community

Presenters

  • Dr. Utkan Demirci | Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine with tenure at the Canary Center for Early Cancer Detection
  • Dr. Brian Kemp | Associate Professor in Anthropology and Co-Director of the Laboratories of Molecular Anthropology and Microbiome Research at the University of Oklahoma
  • Dr. Bruce McCord | Professor of Analytical and Forensic Chemistry at Florida International University

Funding for this Forensic Technology Center of Excellence webinar has been provided by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.

The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this webinar are those of the presenter(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Contact us at ForensicCOE@rti.org with any questions and subscribe to our newsletter for notifications.


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