All of our webinars, reports, podcast episodes, 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.
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2022 National Forensic Science Week FTCoE Student Research Poster Session
← Back to Main Page Overview Thursday, September 22, 2022 | Posters will be available at 1:00 PM Eastern Welcome to our virtual poster session! As fall semester begins and in honor of National Forensic Science Week (September 18-24, 2022),…
2022 NIJ Forensic Science Graduate Research Symposium
← Back to Main Page Overview This event originally occurred on September 20, 2022 Duration: 2 hours The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has long hosted an annual Forensic Science Research and Development Symposium in which NIJ grantees present their…
2022 National Forensic Science Week Murder Mystery Event
← Back to Main Page Overview As a part of National Forensic Science Week 2022 (September 18-24, 2022), the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) is offering a murder mystery event! Each day of the week, a new evidence-based clue…
2022 National Forensic Science Week Ask an Expert
← Back to Main Page Overview The FTCoE has conducted a variety of written interviews with forensic professionals in various forensic science disciplines. From digital evidence to trace analysis and medicolegal death investigation to DNA analysis, the FTCoE showcases real-world…
2022 National Forensic Science Week
Overview National Forensic Science Week (September 18-24, 2022) recognizes the contribution that forensic science makes to the criminal justice system. It is an opportunity to celebrate academic programs, forensic professionals, and scientific research in the various forensic disciplines. Throughout the…
Scene Investigation Video Vignettes
Overview In partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA) Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP), FTCoE and its partners produced a series of short videos on how law enforcement officers, first responders, and other stakeholders can gain…
Medicolegal Death Investigation Partnerships on Overdose Fatality Reviews
Date July 2022 Overview The main purpose of Overdose Fatality Reviews (OFRs) is to review overdose fatalities and find gaps in services to help save lives. They rely on a multi-agency approach to information sharing to accomplish this goal. Upon…
Project ECHO: Applications for the Medicolegal Death Investigation Community and Other Forensic Disciplines
Date July 2022 Overview Similar to the foundational ECHO model designed for primary care providers, ECHO: Overdose Fatality Investigation Techniques (OD-FIT) is designed to promote the rapid dissemination of medicolegal death investigation-specific knowledge for immediate application to overdose casework.1 The ECHO…
Just Forensic Toxicology and Professional Partnerships
Original Release Date: June 17, 2022 In episode seven of our Strengthening the Forensic Workforce season, Just Science sat down with Dr. Karen Scott, an Associate Professor, Forensic Toxicology Consultant, and Director of the Master of Science in Forensic Science…
2022 Law Enforcement Drug Response Summit Archive
Overview This Arnold Ventures-supported study aimed to develop a better understanding of law enforcement drug response programs in the United States. As a part of that project, the study team fielded the 2021 National Law Enforcement Drug Response Survey, to…
Drug Use Impact on Native People in Minnesota
This webinar originally occurred on May 10, 2022 Duration: 1 hour Overview This presentation will review substance use disorder treatment admissions and impacts on Native people residing in Minnesota. Special attention will be paid to the geographic areas of the…
Reports of Adverse Events Associated with Use of Novel Psychoactive Substances, 2017–2020: A Review
Publication Journal of Analytical Toxicology, April 2022 Authors Amanda L A Mohr | Center for Forensic Science Research and Education Barry K Logan | Center for Forensic Science Research and EducationMelissa F Fogarty | Center for Forensic Science Research and…
Just FEPAC Accreditation and Forensic Chemistry Programs
Original Release Date: May 6, 2022 In episode one of our Strengthening the Forensic Workforce season, Just Science sat down with Dr. José Almirall, a Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Director of the National…
2022 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 March 1st & 2nd, 2022 from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Eastern.…
Medical Examiner and Coroner Outsourcing Study – A Qualitative Study and Cost-Benefit Analysis
Date January 2022 Overview Medical examiners and coroners (MECs) are often at the center of highly stressful and emotional situations as a part of their daily job duties. Those events are compounded by continued and escalating high caseloads and inadequate…
2021 Year in Review
A Message from the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence Another year in-the-books and so much has happened! In 2021, the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) hosted a wide range of virtual events and offered online resources amidst an ongoing pandemic. With…
Use of Rapid Toxicology Screening Tools in Medical Examiner/Coroner Offices
Date November 2021 Summary All medical examiner/coroner (ME/C) offices must make difficult decisions when allocating resources for timely, complete medicolegal death investigations. In some cases, toxicological analysis of a decedent’s biological specimens (e.g., blood, urine, tissue) can help determine cause…
2021 Forensic Science Research Federal Stakeholders Public Meeting
Overview The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in partnership with the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE), held a Forensic Science Research Federal Stakeholders meeting on November 8, 2021 from 9:00AM…
Death Certification by the Medical Examiner/Coroner in Drug-Related Deaths
← Back to MDI Webinar Series This webinar originally occurred on November 30th, 2021 Duration: 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…
Sam Quinones | International Award-Winning Author – The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth
This webinar originally occurred on October 28, 2021 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 Tales of…
2021 National Forensic Science Week Murder Mystery Event
← Back to Main Page Overview As a part of National Forensic Science Week 2021 (September 19-25, 2021), the FTCoE is offered a murder mystery event! Each day of the week, a new evidence-based clue was revealed on the website…
2021 National Forensic Science Week Practitioner Interviews
← Back to Main Page Overview The FTCoE has conducted a variety of written interviews with forensic professionals in various stages of their careers. From recent graduates to retired professionals, the FTCoE showcases real-world perspectives on the current state of…
2021 National Forensic Science Week
Overview National Forensic Science Week (September 19-25, 2021) recognizes the contribution that forensic science makes to the criminal justice system. It is an opportunity to celebrate academic programs, forensic professionals, and scientific research in the various forensic disciplines. Throughout the…
2021 National Forensic Science Week FTCoE Student Research Poster Session
← Back to Main Page Overview As fall semesters are getting back into session and in honor of the upcoming National Forensic Science Week (September 19-25, 2021), the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) would like to highlight student research…
Criminal Justice and Public Health Response for Emerging Drug Threats
Overview In a joint effort with the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA) Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP), FTCoE develops capabilities that meet the needs of forensic science organizations to improve collaborations across the criminal justice and public…
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…
Working Group on Data Exchange in Medicolegal Death Investigation
Working Group on Data Exchange in Medicolegal Death Investigation The National Institute of Justice and its Forensic Technology Center of Excellence convene the Working Group on Data Exchange in Medicolegal Death Investigation in collaboration with and supported by the Centers…
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…
Just Seized Drugs and Toxicology Portfolio
Original Release Date: June 4, 2021 In episode one of our 2021 NIJ R&D and Beyond mini season, Just Science sat down with Dr. Frances Scott, a physical scientist in the Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences at the National…
Just a Guide to Sexual Assault Response Reform
Original Release Date: April 30, 2021 In episode three of our Sexual Assault Awareness Month mini season, Just Science sat down with Dr. Patricia Melton, co-director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Training and Technical Assistance program, to discuss a…
Just a Survivor’s Perspective and Reflection
Original Release Date: April 16, 2021 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…
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 Eastern to 5:40 PM Eastern. NIJ…
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…
Just Building Policy From The Ground Up
Original Release Date: March 5th, 2021 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…
FLN-TWG: LC-MS-Based Forensic Toxicology Screening
← Back to FLN-TWG Main Page Forensic Laboratory Needs Technology Working Group (FLN-TWG) The National Institute of Justice (NIJ), in partnership with the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) at RTI International, formed the Forensic Laboratory Needs Technology Working Group…
Forensic Laboratory Needs Technology Working Group (FLN-TWG)
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, formed the Forensic Laboratory Needs Technology Working Group (FLN-TWG). The FLN-TWG supports NIJ’s…
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…
The ROI from Reducing Turnaround Time for Processing DUI: Drug Cases
The ROI from Reducing Turnaround Time for Processing DUI: Drug Cases Presented at AAFS 2021 by Dr. Paul Speaker Abstract From the opioid crisis to legalization of marijuana to the continuing evolution in the abuse of drugs, the societal costs…
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
Original Release Date: February 12th, 2021 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…
Just The Importance of Identifying Emerging Drug Threats
Original Release Date: February 5th, 2021 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…
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
Original Release Date: January 29, 2021 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…
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 Year in Review
A Message from the FTCoE 2020 was a big year for the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence. With five podcast seasons, a full research and development symposium, our first virtual conference, eight reports, and over thirty webinars, we continued to…
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…
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…
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 – 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…
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…
NPS Discovery Toolkit
Overview Welcome to the NPS Discovery toolkit developed for RTI’s Center for Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) and the Center for Forensic Science Research and Education (CFSRE) at the Fredric Rieders Family Foundation. The purpose of the toolkit is to help…
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…
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…
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
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…
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
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…
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
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…
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…
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…
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…
Reports of Adverse Events Associated with Use of Novel Psychoactive Substances, 2013–2016: A Review
This article was published in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology and authored by Barry K. Logan, Amanda L.A. Mohr, Melissa Friscia, Alex J. Krotulski, Donna M. Papsun, Sherri L. Kacinko, Jeri D. Ropero-Miller, Marilyn A. Huestis. This work was developed, in…
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…