The medicolegal death investigation (MDI) system, which includes Medical Examiner and Coroner (MEC) 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 certificates. The FTCoE supports the MDI system through hosting events and webinars; supporting practitioners, publications, and podcast episodes; and collaborating with professional organizations, such as the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) and the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners (IACME).
Explore our latest medicolegal death investigation resources: Watch webinars on post-mortem interval, read the 2018 MDI Stakeholder's Report, watch the 2018 IAC&ME Symposium Archival Webinars to earn ABMDI credits, and listen to the Just Science podcast's MDI Season.
View all Pathology and MDI resources below.
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…
2021 NIJ Forensic Science R&D Symposium
Overview The Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) will be assisting 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…
Utility of Microbes in Forensic Science
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 between classical microbiology and culture independent methods, as well as advantages and…
Deaths in Custody: A Comprehensive Review
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 all phases of custody to include arrest,…
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.…
ABMDI Credits
We are thrilled to offer ABMDI Continuing Education Credits to those who attend the following virtual events. ABMDI credits will be calculated by total time spent watching. For the best viewing experience, each individual session is designed to be watched…
Just Blowflies and Extreme Temperatures
In episode five of the 2020 R&D Season, Just Science interviews Dr. Travis Rusch, a postdoctoral research associate at Texas A&M University, about fluctuating temperatures in forensically important blowflies. Forensic entomologists use predictable developmental rates of certain necrophagus insects to estimate time of colonization, postmortem interval, and time of…
Just Skeletal Remains Identification
In episode two of the 2020 R&D Season, Just Science interviews Dr. Heather Garvin, Associate Professor of Anatomy at Des Moines University, about her work with OSTEOID, an online resource for species identification of skeletal remains. Approximately 30-40% of cases involving skeletal remains received by forensic anthropologists end up being…
Online Workshop: 2019 IAC&ME Training Symposium
In 2019, IAC&ME hosted a combined Basic and Advanced Medicolegal Death Investigation 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 speakers…
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…
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…
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
← Back to Series Thursday, October 17th, 2019 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:00:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour(s) There are over 2000 medical examiner and coroner offices throughout the United States. All are involved in determining the cause and manner…
Special Release: Just the Census of Medical Examiners and Coroners
<<< back to all podcasts Just the Census of Medical Examiners and Coroners In this special release episode, Just Science interviews Dr. Hope Smiley-McDonald and Connor Brooks about the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ Census of Medical Examiners and Coroners. The…
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…
Just Imaging Flow Cytometry
<<< back to all podcasts Just Imaging Flow Cytometry In episode ten of the 2019 R&D season, Just Science interviews Dr. Christopher Ehrhardt, professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, about a method for determining tissue type, age of evidence, and contributors…
Just Flies and Their Artifacts
<<< back to all podcasts Just Flies and Their Artifacts In episode nine of the 2019 R&D season, Just Science interviews Dr. David Rivers, a professor at Loyola University, about the detection of insect stains and the development of a…
Just Putrid Databases
<<< back to all podcasts Just Putrid Databases In episode seven of the 2019 R&D season, Just Science interviews Dr. Audris Mockus, a Professor in the Tickle College of Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, about an Image Cloud…
Cradle to Cane: Investigation of Crimes Against Vulnerable Victims
Overview: The original recordings took place March 21-23, 2017. 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…
Just RNA and Bloodstains
<<< back to all podcasts Just RNA and Bloodstains In episode three of the 2019 R&D season, Just Science interviews Dr. Robert Allen, professor and head of the Forensic Sciences Department at Oklahoma State University, about a method to estimate…
Just Fundamental Mechanics and Infant Skull Fractures
<<< back to all podcasts Just Fundamental Mechanics and Infant Skull Fractures In episode two of the 2019 R&D season, Just Science interviews Dr. Brittany Coats, associate professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Utah, about her efforts to…
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…
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…
Building Forensic Capacity Post-Conflict: Lessons from Uganda
← Back to Series Thursday, March 28, 2019 2:00:00 PM ET – 3:30:00 PM ET Duration: 1.5 hour(s) This presentation introduces research conducted in Uganda at the nexus of forensic science and transitional justice, highlighting a large-scale forensic investigation and…
Emerging Research in Medicolegal Death Investigations
← Back to Series Thursday, March 14, 2019 1:00 PM ET – 2:30 PM ET Duration: 1.5 hour(s) In this installment of the Emerging Research series, two researchers will present their current research in the medicolegal death investigation (MDI) discipline.…
Stable Isotope Analysis in a Humanitarian Context
← Back to Series Tuesday, March 12, 2019 11:00:00 AM ET – 12:30:00 PM ET Duration: 1.5 hour(s) This webinar will introduce stable isotope analysis and its validity as analytical tool in establishing the geographic origin and life history of…
Isotopes Aiding Identification of Undocumented Border Crosser Human Remains
← Back to Series Wednesday, February 6, 2019 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:30:00 PM ET Duration: 1.5 hour(s) This webinar highlights the theory and methods of isotopic analysis to explain how it can be used to assist in the identification…
Aquatic Death and Homicidal Drowning Investigation
Description Drowning is one of the leading causes of “accidental death” in the United States, but it is possible that many of these deaths are, in fact, incidents of foul play. It is important that law enforcement personnel learn how…
Just Planning For The Aftermath Of A Mass Shooting
Just Planning For The Aftermath Of A Mass Shooting In the fourth episode of our medicolegal death investigation special release season, Just Science interviews John Fudenberg, the Coroner for Clark County, where he discusses the tragic events of the 2017 concert shooting in Las…
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…
Just Forensic Nurse Coroners
Just Forensic Nurse Coroners In the third episode of our medicolegal death investigation special release season, Just Science interviews Bobbi Jo O’neal, the Chief Deputy Coroner of Charleston, South Carolina, who discusses the unique skills that forensic nurses can provide…
Just Coroners Versus Medical Examiner Systems
Just Coroners Versus Medical Examiner Systems In the second episode of our medicolegal death investigation special release season, Just Science interviews John Fudenberg, the Coroner for Clark County, Nevada. Listen along as Just Science explores commonalities and differences between the…
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…
Just Being Vocal about Vicarious Trauma
Just Being Vocal about Vicarious Trauma In the first episode of our medicolegal death investigation special release season, Just Science interviews Kelly Keyes, the supervising deputy coroner of Orange County, California to give an overview about the coroners and medical…
Strengthening the Medical Examiner–Coroner System Through NIJ-funded Programs: 2018 Medicolegal Death Investigation Stakeholders’ Meeting
Report Date September 2018 Report Summary On February 5–6, 2018, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the research and evaluation agency of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), convened a diverse group of stakeholders from across the United States…
Just a Whole-Body CT Image Database
Just a Whole-Body CT Image Database In episode four of the 2018 NIJ R&D Season, Just Science speaks with Dr. Shamsi Berry, from the University of Mississippi Medical Center, about her research with standardizing a large-scale, whole-body CT image database. In 2010 the…
Forensic Workforce Resiliency: Vicarious Trauma & Workplace Stress Webinar Series
Description 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…
Just Speak into the Microbe-phone
Just Speak into the Microbe-phone In the first episode of our new R&D Season, Just Science host Dr. John Morgan speaks with Dr. Bruce Budowle, the Executive Director of the Institute of Applied Genetics and Professor at the University of…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
Success Story: Maximizing the Use of Mitochondrial DNA in Identifying Remains and Aiding Missing Persons Casework
NIJ and the American Registry of Pathology Report Date April 2018 Impact “The complete mtGenome reference data developed in this project serve as important milestones for the understanding of coding region heteroplasmy and the acceptance of full mtGenome sequencing in…
Success Story: Establishing a “Microbial Clock” to Improve Time of Death Prediction
NIJ and Multi-Institute Academic Team Report Date April 2018 Impact “This research clearly demonstrated that there is potential to develop microbiome tools for estimating time of death. Developing connections with the right interdisciplinary collaborators was instrumental to the success of…
Protected: Webinar: 2017 From Cradle to Cane – Part Four
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DNA KINSHIP TESTING WEBINAR SERIES
Description 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…
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…
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…
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…
Just Postmortem Interval Estimation Research
Just Postmortem Interval Estimation Research In this special release episode of the 2017 NIJ R&D Symposium, Just Science interviews Dr. Jeffrey Wells and Dr. Lynn LaMotte. This is the abstract submitted where Dr. LaMotte and Dr. Wells explain their research:…
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…
Just Dry Bones
Just Dry Bones In the seventh episode of Just Science, funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence , guest speakers Dr. Melissa Connor, Dr. Eriek Hansen, and Christiane Baigent discuss their NIJ funded research. A study was launched 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…
HHRRC Webinar Series: A Review of Forensic Anthropology in Mexico
← Back to Series Original Webinar took Place on Thursday, June 2nd, 2017 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…
HHRRC Webinar Series: Stable Isotope Forensics & Unknown Persons Investigations
← Back to Series Wednesday, May 24, 2017, 1:00:00 PM ET – 3:00:00 PM ET 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…
HHRRC Webinar Series: Analysis and Conservation of Human Remains in Cambodia
← Back to Series Original Webinar took Place on Tuesday, May 16th, 2020 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…
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…
HHRRC Webinar Series: Nerve Agent Uptake and Detection in Human Bone
← Back to Series Original Webinar took Place on Tuesday, May 9th, 2017 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
2016 NIJ R&D Series Anthropology & Microbial Forensics
Afternoon Session I: Anthropology & Microbial Forensics 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 (2) Result…