Just Science

In episode four of the 2019 R&D season, Just Science interviews Dr. Suzanne Bell, Professor and Chair of the Department of Forensic and Investigative Science at West Virginia University, to discuss a method for consistent single-shot detection of organic and inorganic gunshot residue. Smaller crime labs often face a lack of resources and don’t have the funds for the most current equipment used in the detection of gunshot residue. With that in mind, Dr. Bell and her team have created a way to detect GSR using a machine already found in most toxicology departments: a liquid chromatography mass spectrometer. Listen along as she discusses a method for using LC/MS to detect organic and inorganic gunshot residues from the same sample in this episode of Just Science. This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.

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 the age of bloodstains using quantitative PCR. Traditionally, RNA has been used to identify types of cells and to determine if a sample of blood came from two sources. Dr. Allen and his team have found a new use for the single-strand genetic material – estimating the age of dried blood. By studying the ratios of degradation that take place in RNA, they can estimate the age of a blood stain up to three years old. Listen along as our guest discusses his research and RNA’s role in body fluid identification. This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.

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 use fundamental mechanics to predict infant skull fracture patterns. Over 600,000 children suffer from abuse or neglect each year. The highest percentage of those are less than one year old. After a child suffers an injury, clinicians and investigators often rely on experience to determine if abuse is present, but experience can sometimes be too subjective. Dr. Brittany Coats has spent years researching biomechanics to understand the difference between accidental and abusive trauma, especially in infants. Listen along as she discusses the role of experience in understanding head trauma and her journey to create a computational model to predict how an infant’s skull will fracture in an accident. This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.

In episode one of the 2019 R&D season, Just Science interviews Dr. Katherine Scafide and Dr. Daniel Sheridan about their use of Alternative Light Sources for the detection and assessment of cutaneous bruising. Until the 1990s, it was commonly believed that clinicians and forensic professionals could estimate a bruise’s age by analyzing its color change. Now, we know that isn’t the case. To fill this gap in knowledge, Dr’s Scafide and Sheridan are working on creating a method for accurately assessing bruises by utilizing different filters to isolate wavelengths of light. Listen along as they discuss the characteristics of bruising, the factors affecting bruise perception, and their innovative use of paintballs in this episode of Just Science. This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.

The National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI), funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, aims to create a coordinated community response that ensures justice and resolution to sexual assault cases by utilizing a comprehensive and victim-centered approach. With 54 sites nationwide, SAKI has had a significant impact on policy and practice surrounding sexual assault kit processing. In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Just Science met with Dr. Kevin Strom and Dr. Patricia Melton of the SAKI Training and Technical Assistance project. Listen in as they discuss the SAKI TTA program, its impact, and the support SAKI TTA provides the community.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a campaign designed to raise awareness about sexual violence and provide methods to prevent it. In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Just Science interviewed Pat Speck, a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner and professor at the University of Alabama - Birmingham School of Nursing, about sexual assault testing and victim-centered care.Sexual assault evidence collection has changed dramatically over the years. From the original test tubes and cotton stoppers to the advanced sexual assault kits in use today, advancements in science have fundamentally altered the process of testing for sexual assault. Listen in as Pat Speck discusses her research, the importance of trauma-informed care, and evolution of sexual assault evidence collection in this episode of Just Science. Some content in this podcast may be considered sensitive and may evoke emotional responses, or may not be appropriate for younger audiences.

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 nature of the respective podcasts. The Double-Loop podcast has been around for over five years now. While its origin can be traced back to a Game of Thrones conversation over dinner, it has grown into a successful podcast with a large forensic professional following. Eric Ray and Glenn Langenburg are respected voices in the forensic community and use their podcast as an opportunity to educate others about latent print topics. In this episode, Just Science sits down with Glenn and Eric to discuss history, inspiration, and the challenges facing their respective podcasts. If you’re interested in hearing more about latent print topics, current events in forensic science, the newest research articles, and the analysis of notable cases from a forensic scientist perspective, go to this link: https://sou

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. As a forensic technician Selena McKay-Davis is confronted daily with scenes where crimes were committed, and sometimes these scenes are violent or even gruesome. The stress of the position and the daily exposure to violence can make a long term career in this occupation very difficult. While there is research surrounding the trauma that sworn peace officers experience, little is known about the trauma experienced by civilian forensic technicians. During her graduate studies, Selena McKay-Davis identified this gap in knowledge. Listen along as she discusses her graduate thesis topic covering the similarities and differences between the trauma experienced by officers and civilian forensic technicians This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology

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 anthropologists must first determine if it belonged to a human or an animal. If it’s an animal bone, they can move on to other case work, but human remains require a much more involved and expensive forensic processes such as DNA testing. For developing countries these tests can be too expensive and time consuming. With limited resources and tight timelines, Carlos Gutierrez wanted to find an affordable and timely way to analyze remains and differentiate between human and animal bones. It was through this need that Forensic Microanthropology was born. Listen along as he discusses the details of Forensic Microanthropology in this episode of Just Science. This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.

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 carcasses and pressure cookers, an improvised explosive device is just that: improvised. One of the most difficult parts of I.E.D. identification after the explosion is figuring out what was part of the bomb itself. Hillary Daluz spent 14 months in Iraq as a latent print examiner working on the remains of improvised explosive devices. Listen along as she discusses contextual bias, the difficulty of identifying finger prints on improvised explosives, and the importance of partnering with other disciplines in this episode of Just Science. This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.

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 methamphetamine use and a double homicide. In the early hours of a seemingly normal morning outside Grand Island, Nebraska, Brandon Crago fled a drug rehabilitation center. 19 hours later, Crago had stolen four different cars, evaded police, and traveled 300 hundred miles. At the end of his journey, he took the lives of a retired couple on a farm just outside Lincoln, NE. Using wound and bloodstain pattern analysis, Erin Simms and her team pieced together the story and linked Crago to the killings. Listen along as she recalls the details of the methamphetamine-fueled car chase that led to a double homicide in this week’s episode of Just Science. This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.

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 the investigation of the Molalla Forest Murderer. The Molalla Forest serial murders are arguably the most infamous chain of homicides in Oregon. In 1988, Dayton Leroy Rogers was convicted and imprisoned for the serial murder of seven women over the course of three months. Robert Thompson was heavily involved in the investigation and conviction of this killer. Listen along as our guest discusses the intimate details of the case and the years that followed. This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.

In episode three of the Identification season, Just Science interviews forensic biologist Caitlin Rogers. Forensic scientists are always looking to improve the efficiency and accuracy of sexual assault kit testing. Caitlin Rogers is working to improve the procedure by using a modified direct to DNA approach to processing sexual assault kits. Listen along as our guest discusses processing, testing, and analyzing DNA samples from sexual assault kits. This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.

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 IAI Forensic Art Science and Practice Committee. With over 700 cases in her career, Suzanne Birdwell understands the nuances of forensic artistry. Through a collaborative process, forensic artists create likenesses to aid in recognition and identification of a criminal, a decedent, or a missing person. Listen along as our guest discusses sketching from memory, facial reconstruction, age progression, and other aspects of forensic artistry. This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.

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 2018 International Forensic Educational Conference in San Antonio, Texas. This conference, held by the International Association for Identification, represents a diverse and knowledgeable membership that meets annually to educate and share techniques, methods, and research into the various forensic science disciplines. In episode one of the Identification season, Just Science interviews Lesley Hammer, former president of the International Association for Identification and the current Chair of the Education Committee of the IAI. Listen along as she discusses pattern and impression evidence collection and the future of IAI. This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.

In episode eleven of the Forensic Advancement season, Just Science interviews Special Agent Richard Marx, the supervisory agent for the FBI’s Evidence Response Team Unit, to discuss what follows a mass casualty event. Any loss of life is a tragedy, but nothing compares to the loss at a mass casualty event. Special Agent Richard Marx has seen quite a few of them in his career. Since joining the Evidence Response Team in 2006, Marx has been involved in the support efforts following disasters both domestic and abroad. Listen along as he discusses the necessity for interdepartmental collaboration and the feeling of service following a mass casualty event in this week’s episode of Just Science. This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.

In episode ten of the Forensic Advancement season, Just Science interviews Dr. Peter Stout, CEO of the Houston Forensic Science Center, as he discusses the current state of the HFSC and his philosophy of giving the right answer at the right time. In 2003, the New York Times labelled the Houston Police Crime Lab as one of the worst forensic sciences facilities in the country. Fifteen years later, that reputation has been completely overhauled. In that time, Dr. Peter Stout and his team have done incredible things with this once troubled program. Stay tuned as he discusses how they utilize total transparency and blind proficiency testing to improve the reputation and quality of the Houston Forensic Science Center in this episode of Just Science. This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.

In episode nine of the Forensic Advancement season, Just Science interviews Ramit Plushnick-Masti, Director of Communications for the Houston Forensic Science Center, concerning the role of transparency in the forensics community. Complete transparency is a rare concept in the forensics and law enforcement communities. But for Ramit Plushnick-Masti and the Houston Forensic Science Center, it is standard procedure. Through her anecdotes and experience, listen as Ramit Plushnick-Masti discusses the cultivation of trust and the value of transparency in this installment of Just Science. This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.

In episode eight of the Forensic Advancement season, Just Science interviews Ron Smith. Smith is a 45-year veteran of latent print analysis and the current president of Ron Smith and Associates, a Mississippi-based company that provides training, consulting, and proficiency testing services to the forensics community. Over the last 30 years, Smith has witnessed a shift in the role of the forensic scientist in the criminal justice system. He believes that being an expert witness, exhibiting fairness, and staying current are now the most important parts of being a forensic scientist. Listen in as he discusses this shift in more detail and the direction the field of forensic sciences is headed in this installment of Just Science. This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.

In episode seven of the forensic advancement season, Just Science interviews Amber Burns, Chemistry Section Manager for the Maryland State Police Department, to discuss the role of technology in the fight against the current opioid epidemic. Opioid overdose is on the rise and fentanyl, one of the most prevalent opioids out there, is becoming more difficult to identify. By using the Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART) Mass Spectrometer, Burns and her team can detect the presence of fentanyl and other chemicals in recovered samples. Listen along as she discusses the technology they use and the current state of the opioid crisis in Maryland in this episode of Just Science. This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.