Just a Survivor’s Perspective and Reflection
In episode one of our 2021 Sexual Assault Awareness Month mini season, Just Science sat down with author, non-profit founder, and sexual assault survivor Natasha Alexenko to discuss her book, A Survivor’s Journey, and the importance of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Every survivor of sexual…
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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
May 13th, 2021 | 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET 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…
Just Polysubstance Use and the Importance of Data Trends
In episode ten, Just Science interviews Josh Yohannan, a forensic chemist and expert in emerging drug trends, about polysubstance use in the opioid overdose epidemic. Polysubstance use dramatically increases the potential for overdose or negative side effects of drug use. While there is no “one-size-fits-all” description of…
Just Addressing the Stigma of Substance Abuse Disorder
In episode nine, Just Science interviews Clarence Jordan, the Vice President of Wellness and Recovery at Beacon Health Options, to discuss stigma and its impact to programs designed to support those with substance use disorder and on individual level outcomes. There is no shortage of stigma surrounding the overdose crisis facing our…
Just the DEA National Forensic Laboratory Information System
In episode eight, Just Science interviews DeMia Pressley from the DEA’s Diversion Control Division to discuss the importance of information sharing across law enforcement and public health agencies through forensic partnerships. The National Forensic Laboratory Information System, otherwise known as NFLIS, is a…
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…
Just Building Policy From The Ground Up
In episode seven, Just Science interviews Dr. Alex Kral, an infectious disease epidemiologist at RTI International, about innovative policy solutions to improve outcomes for people with substance use disorder. Community-based research takes place within community settings and involves community members which allows a better understanding of the struggles that each…
Forensic Laboratory Needs Technical Working Group
Supporting NIJ’s Mission to Improve Knowledge and Understanding The National Institute of Justice (NIJ), in partnership with the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) at RTI International (Research Triangle Institute), has formed the Forensic Laboratory Needs – Technology Working Group…
Just Alternative Crisis Response: One Community’s Experience
In episode six, Just Science interviews Tim Black of the White Bird Clinic in Eugene, Oregon about the CAHOOTS program, a community-based public safety model that provides mental health first response for crises involving mental illness, homelessness, and substance use…
Just Partnerships To Enhance Overdose Fatality Review
In episode five, Just Science interviews Dr. Mallory O’Brien, Assistant Professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin, to discuss how partnerships can enhance Overdose Fatality Reviews. The National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) is the only state-based reporting system that covers all types…
Just the Story of the Healthy Grandfamilies Project
In episode four, Just Science sat down with Bonnie Dunn, Co-Director of the West Virginia Healthy Grandfamilies Project, to discuss a free initiative that provides information and resources to grandparents who are raising one or more of their grandchildren. Children can be deeply impacted if their…
Just The Importance of Identifying Emerging Drug Threats
In episode three, Just Science sat down with Amanda Mohr and Dr. Alex Krotulski from the Center for Forensic Science Research and Education to discuss the analytical and interpretative challenges associated with emerging drug threats. The Center for Forensic Science Research and Education, otherwise known as…
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…
Just the Intersection of Opioids and Illicit Stimulants: Part 2
This week, we continue the conversation with Dr. Zibbell as he discusses the American history of drug epidemics, what we can learn from past stimulant crises, and the importance of tailoring interventions in this episode of Just Science. This season is in collaboration with the Bureau of Justice…
Just the Intersection of Opioids and Illicit Stimulants: Part 1
In the first half of this two-part episode, Just Science sat down with Dr. Jon Zibbell, a Senior Public Health Analyst from RTI International, to discuss the waves of the opioid epidemic and their impact on communities. The world of…
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…
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.…
Just Analyzing Beverages for Cannabinoids
In episode three of the 2020 R&D Season, Just Science interviews Dr. Carl Wolf from the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals about 40 plus ways NOT to analyze beverages for cannibinoids. From professional student, to a leading researcher in the…
The hidden costs of the opioid crisis and the implications for financial management in the public sector
Jeri Ropero-Miller and Paul Speaker Report Date Volume 1, 2019, Pages 227-238 Abstract The November 2017 release of the Council of Economic Advisers’ White House report on the opioid crisis suggests that prior consideration of expenses severely underestimated the…
ASCLD Train the Director Series – Toxicology: Instrumentation, Methodology, and Workflows
← Back to Series Thursday, February 6th, 2020 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:30:00 PM ET Duration: 1.5 hour(s) Legacy workflows in toxicology generally involve a drug class screen followed by a gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy…
2019 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…
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…
UNODC Early Warning Alert System: Forensic Tools for New Psychoactive Substances
← Back to Series Tuesday, December 3rd, 2019 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:00:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour(s) The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Early Warning Advisory (EWA) on new psychoactive substances (NPS) was launched in June…
Forensic Epidemiology: Monitoring Fatal Drug Overdose Trends
← Back to Series Tuesday, February 11th, 2020 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:00:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour(s) Given the vital role of medical examiners and coroners (ME/C) in recognizing emerging trends in drug overdose deaths, partnering epidemiologists with ME/C…
Best Practices in Novel Psychoactive Substances Testing for Laboratory Practitioners
NIJ’s FTCoE and Center for Forensic Science Research and Education Report Date September 2019 Introduction New psychoactive substances (NPS) have always presented a challenge to analytical laboratories tasked with identifying drugs in biological and nonbiological material. The pace at…
Improving National Laboratory Capability and Capacity to Measure Human Exposure to Synthetic Opioids
← Back to Series Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:00:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour(s) The CDC laboratory at the National Center for Environmental Health is collaborating with public, private, and academic laboratories to respond to the…
Webinar Series: Opioids & Emerging Drug Threats – Integrating Public Safety and Health Data for a Forensic Response
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…
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…
Understanding the Impact of Drug Background Levels in Forensic Laboratories
← Back to Series Tuesday, August 13th, 2019 1:00:00 PM ET – 3:00:00 PM ET Duration: 2 hour(s) As drugs become increasingly potent and analytical instrumentation becomes more sensitive, the need to understand and monitor drug background levels is becoming…
Just Raman Spectroscopy and GSR
<<< back to all podcasts Just Raman Spectroscopy and GSR In episode eight of the 2019 R&D season, Just Science interviews Dr. Igor Lednev, professor of Chemistry at the University of Albany, about using Raman Microspectroscopy and advanced statistics for…
Using ODMAP to Harness Data and Accelerate Action
← Back to Series Tuesday, July 16th, 2019 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:00:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour(s) The Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP) provides near real-time suspected overdose surveillance data across jurisdictions to support public safety and to…
Emerging Research in Toxicology & Drugs
← Back to Series Tuesday, April 23, 2019 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:30:00 PM ET Duration: 1.5 hour(s) Research and Presentation topics will include the following: -Development and validation of a novel blood protein modification assay for retrospective detection of…
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…
Just Opioid Financial Burden on Crime Labs
Just Opioid Financial Burden on Crime Labs In episode twelve of our Drugs Season, Just Science speaks to Dr. Paul Speaker, from West Virginia University, about the economic burden our justice system has from opioid deaths. They are estimating that…
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”…
Just Classifying Emerging Compounds
Just Classifying Emerging Compounds In episode eleven of our Drugs Season, Just Science visits Atlanta for the 45th Annual ASCLD symposium to visit with Dr. Barry Logan, Sr. Vice President of Forensic Science Initiatives and Chief of Forensic Toxicology at…
Just Fentanyl Lab Fads with ASCLD
Episode Overview In episode ten of our Drugs Season, Just Science visits Atlanta for the 45th Annual ASCLD symposium to talk with the Orange County, California Laboratory Director, and chair of the ASCLD Opioid Taskforce Committee, Bruce Houlihan. Listen along…
Just Solving the Opioid Crisis
Just Solving the Opioid Crisis In episode Nine of our Drugs Season, Just Science discusses the Opioid Epidemic with RTI International’s Dr. Gary Zarkin and Dr. Jeri Ropero-Miller. Solving the United State’s Opioid Epidemic that’s riddled with unknowns and inconsistencies…
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,…
Just Chasing the E-Cig Dragon
Just Chasing the E-Cig Dragon In episode eight of our Drugs Season, Just Science discusses research in the area of e-cigarettes with Dr. Michelle Peace. Vaping, the act of inhaling vapor from e-liquid through a vaporizer, or also known as…
Just Alcohol and Witness Recall
Just Alcohol and Witness Recall In episode seven of our Drugs Season, Just Science discusses with Dr. Nadja Schreiber Compo, an associate professor at Florida International University, her research on the effects of alcohol on witnesses’ and victims’ memory for…
Just the State of Pathology
Just the State of Pathology In episode six of the Drugs Season, Randy Hanzlick of the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office in Atlanta explores the field of forensic pathology. Listen along as Dr. John Morgan and Dr. Hanzlick discuss medicolegal…
Just Doobious Driving
Just Doobious Driving In episode five of our Drugs Season, Just Science interviews Jennifer Knudsen, Colorado’s Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor, and Glenn Davis, the Highway Safety Manager for the Colorado Department of Transportation. Listen along as Colorado’s recreational marijuana legalization traffic…
Just Liver Die
Just Liver Die In episode four of our Drugs Season, Just Science interviews Dr. Carl Wolf, from the Medical College of Virginia Commonwealth University to discuss his NIJ funded research, titled “Liver Doesn’t DIE, or at least its Enzymes, and…
Landscape Study of Field Portable Devices for Presumptive Drug Testing
Report Date May 2018 Report Summary The goal of this report is to inform the forensic community about the current landscape of field portable devices and techniques used for presumptive drug testing. This report also contains a discussion of the…
Just Electronic Dance Music Festivals
Just Electronic Dance Music Festivals In episode three of the Drugs Season, Just Science interviews Alex Krotulski, a research scientist, and Amanda Mohr, a forensic scientist 2, at the Center for Forensic Science Research and education. Both discuss their NIJ…
Conference Proceedings: 2018 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…
Just Drug Courts
Just Drug Courts In episode two of the Drugs Season, Just Science interviews Preeti Menon, the Senior Associate Director at the Justice Programs Office, a center in the School of Public Affairs at America University. One of Ms. Menon’s many…
Just Field Identification Drug Officer
Just Field Identification Drug Officer With this episode we kick off our Drugs season. Topics will range from legalization of marijuana in relation to police officers, the opioid epidemic, Electronic Dance Music Festivals, how witnesses’ and victims’ memory of events…
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)…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Just Case Studies: A Mother’s Tale – Part 2
A Mother’s Tale Part 2 Season two, episode four of Just Science involves a case through the eyes of an investigator. Mike Weber, an investigator with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office in the Crimes Against Children Unit, walks us…
Just Case Studies: A Mother’s Tale – Part 1
A Mother’s Tale Part 1 Season two, episode three of Just Science involves a case through the eyes of an investigator. Mike Weber, an investigator with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office in the Crimes Against Children Unit, walks us…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…