SPEAKERS

DR. JASON PAYNE- JAMES
DR. JASON PAYNE- JAMES
Prof. Santo Davide Ferrara
Prof. Santo Davide Ferrara
Dr Henry Lee
Dr Henry Lee
Prof. Peter Ellis
Prof. Peter Ellis
Dr Yanko Kolev
Dr Yanko Kolev
Prof. Duarte Nuno Vieira
Prof. Duarte Nuno Vieira
Dr. Sigrid Ingeborg KVAAL
Dr. Sigrid Ingeborg KVAAL
Dr. Roberto Cameriere
Dr. Roberto Cameriere
Dr. Joe Adserias-Garriga
Dr. Joe Adserias-Garriga
Antti Sajantila
Prof. Antti Sajantila
Antti Sajantila
Michael Thali
Antti Sajantila
Prof. Heesun Chung
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Yanko G. Kolev, MD, PhD is Head of Department of Forensic medicine at District Hospital of Gabrovo, Bulgaria, senior lecturer of Forensic Medicine at Medical University of Pleven and a national consultant of forensic medicine at the Bulgarian Ministry of Health.

Specialist in Forensic medicine (forensic pathology and clinical forensic medicine), Specialist in Medical Imaging (Radiology); Doctor of Medicine, PhD in forensic medicine and forensic entomology. He received trainings at Medical University of Pleven, Medical University of Sofia, University of Crete, University Center of Legal Medicine - Lausanne–Geneva (Switzerland).

Professional Experience: Forensic medicine (forensic pathology and clinical forensic medicine) since 1998, practical work (including expert-witness) and teaching; medical imaging – since 2015, applications in forensic imaging and postmortem radiology. Practice in forensic pathology, forensic anthropology, forensic entomology, CSI and 3D-imaging and reconstruction, clinical forensic medicine, virtual autopsy. Lecturer at National Institute of Justice, Bulgaria. Giving lectures on postmortem CT and forensic imaging at National Forensic Sciences University – India; in Turkey etc.

Specific research in forensic medicine and pathology – autopsy techniques, CSI and traces, child abuse, organization of forensic medicine, forensic entomology and entomotoxicology, postmortem imaging and forensic imaging and radiology, virtual autopsy, 3D-scanning etc., special interest in DVI.

He is a delegate from Bulgaria to European Council of Legal Medicine (ECLM), member of the Executive Board of Balkan Academy of Forensic Sciences /BAFS/, Secretary and a member of the Executive Board of the Bulgarian Association of Forensic Medicine, also a member of numerous professional organisations, including IALM (International Academy of Legal Medicine), FASE (European Association of Forensic Anthropology), European Association for Forensic Entomology (EAFE). Member of the Advisory Board of UPACA Center for Legal and Corporate Excellence, India. Expert at the Institute of Forensic Analysis and Investigation Research – Kosova.

President of the International Association of Forensic Sciences (IAFS) since 2023 (elected in Sidney, IAFS 2023).

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Professor Peter ELLIS OAM, MA, MB, BChir, FRCPA, FACLM, FFFLM

Professor Peter Ellis is a senior Forensic Pathologist based on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. Originally from the UK and with his medical degree from Cambridge University, Peter completed his pathology training in Queensland and South Australia and after a period in practice in South East Queensland, he took up the position of Director of Forensic Medicine at Westmead in Sydney in 1988. He held that post until moving back to Queensland in late 2006. He was based at Nambour Hospital since that time until late 2016. He has extensive experience in all aspects of forensic pathology and has participated in several committees of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia and the State Health Departments of both New South Wales and Queensland.

He has a special interest in Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) and has actively participated in several incidents in Australia, including various Queensland-based disasters as well as the Victorian Bushfires. He was the lead Australian pathologist for the Tsunami response in late 2004, establishing the first formal mortuary in Thailand and he then coordinated all the subsequent Australian pathology involvement. He participated in the off-shore DVI programs after the first Bali bombing (2002) as well as tourist air crashes in Nepal (2008) and Papua New Guinea (2009) and the Christchurch, New Zealand earthquake in 2011. He has participated in several DVI training programs in South-East Asia as well as in Australia. He has also worked on several forensic operations in Kosovo, East Timor and Sri Lanka and has an active research interest in identification science, especially after disasters and mass grave excavations. He was the consulting forensic pathologist to the WW1 Fromelles mass grave project based in northern France. He is a member of Interpol’s DVI Working Group and has been the chair of the Interpol Pathology and Anthropology Sub-group. He is currently the Deputy Chair of that sub-group, shortly to become Chair again. He is Adjunct Professor in Forensic Medicine and Pathology at Griffith University and holds a similar title at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 2022 Australia Day Honours list to recognise his service as a forensic pathologist.

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Jason Payne-James

LLM MSc FFFLM FRCS FRCP FCSFS FACLM FFCFM(RCPA) RCPathME DFM LBIPP DipMOD

Jason Payne-James is a Specialist in Forensic & Legal Medicine and a Consultant Forensic Physician. His clinical, research and academic interests are broad-ranging include documentation and interpretation of injury; evidential sampling; wound and scar interpretation; complaints against healthcare professionals; sexual assault; non-accidental injury; intimate partner violence; non-fatal strangulation; restraint and less-lethal systems; miscarriages of justice; healthcare in detention; cause of death; death investigation; medical negligence; death and harm in custody; substance use; human rights abuses and torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.

He is Honorary Clinical Professor, William Harvey Research Institute, Centre for Clinical Pharmacology and Precision Medicine, Queen Mary University of London; Lead Medical Examiner at the Norfolk & Norwich Hospitals University NHS Trust; adviser to the UK National Crime Agency; Chair of the UK Scientific Advisory Committee on the Medical Implications of Less-Lethal weapons; member of the Specialist Advisory Committee of the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board on forensic & legal medicine; President of the European Council of Legal & Forensic Medicine. He is director of Forensic Healthcare Services Ltd.

He is past-President of the Faculty of Forensic & Legal Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians and past-President of the World Police Medical Officers. He was founding editor-in-chief of the Journal of Forensic & Legal Medicine. He is Associate Editor-in-Chief of Forensic Science Research.

He has published widely and co-authored or co-edited (amongst others) the Encyclopedia of Forensic & Legal Medicine (1st, 2nd and 3rd editions); the 13th and 14th Editions of Simpson’s Forensic Medicine, three volumes of Current Practice in Forensic Medicine; the Oxford Handbook of Forensic Medicine; The Medical Examiner System in England & Wales: A Practical Guide; Symptoms & Signs of Substance Misuse (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th editions) and Forensic & Legal Medicine: Clinical & Pathological Aspects. His clinical and expert practice is based in the UK but he reviews many cases including those in the criminal justice system, deaths and care in state custody and possible miscarriages of justice, in the UK and internationally.

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SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF DR. HENRY C. LEE

Dr. Henry C. Lee is one of the world’s foremost forensic scientists. Dr. Lee’s work has made him a landmark in modern-day criminal investigations. He has been a prominent player in many of the most challenging cases of the last 50 years. Dr. Lee has worked with law enforcement agencies in helping to solve more than 8000 cases. In recent years, his travels have taken him to England, Bosnia, Canada, China, Brunei, Bermuda, Germany, Singapore, Thailand, Middle East, South America and other locations around the world.

Dr. Lee’s testimony figured prominently in the O. J. Simpson, Jason Williams, Peterson, and Kennedy Smith Trials; and in convictions of the “Woodchipper” murderer as well as thousands of other murder cases. Dr. Lee has assisted local and state police in their investigations of other famous crimes, such as the murder of Jon Benet Ramsey in Boulder, Colorado, the 1993 suicide of White House Counsel Vincent Foster, the death of Chandra Levy, the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart, and the reinvestigation of the Kennedy assassination. He was a consultant for more than 800 law enforcement agencies.

Dr. Lee is currently a Distinguished Emeritus Professor in Forensic Science, Vice President of Institute of Forensic Science and the director of Forensic Research and Training Center of University of New Haven. He was the Chief Emeritus for the Connecticut State Police during 2000-2010 and was the Commissioner of Public Safety for the State of Connecticut during 1998 to 2000 and has served as the state’s Chief Criminalist from 1978 to 2000. Dr. Lee was the driving force in establishing a modern state police communication system, Community based police services sex offender and DNA databank, major crime investigation concepts and advanced forensic science services in Connecticut.

In 1975, Dr. Lee joined the University of New Haven, where he created the school’s Forensic Sciences program. He has also taught as a professor at more than a dozen universities, law schools, and medical schools. Though challenged with the demands on his time, Dr. Lee still lectures throughout the country and world to police, Universities and civic organizations. Dr. Lee has authored more than two hundreds of articles in professional journals and has co-authored more than 40 books, covering the areas, such as; DNA, Fingerprints, Trace Evidence, Crime Scene Investigation and Crime Scene Reconstruction. He is the author of some best sellers, such as Famous Crimes Revisited, Cracking Cases: the science of solving crimes, Blood Evidence, and Cracking More Cases. In addition, his textbooks such as Forensic Science, Physical Evidence and Henry Lee’s Crime Scene Handbook have been widely adopted in medical legal and forensic professions. He has appeared in many TV shows and movies. His new television series, Trace Evidence – Dr. Henry Lee File has received high ratings and has been broadcasted around the world.

Dr. Lee has been the recipient of numerous medals and awards, including the 1996 Medal of Justice from the Justice Foundation, and the 1998 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Science and Engineer Association. He has also been the recipient of the Distinguished Criminalist Award from the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS); the J. Donero Award from the International Association of Identification and in 1992 was elected a distinguished Fellow of the AAFS. He has also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American College of Forensic Examiners (ACFE) in 2000, Medal of Honor by the Ellis Island Foundation in 2004, Congressional Recognition for Outstanding services by the US Congress in 2004, Presidential Medal of Honor by the President of Croatia in 2005, Medal of Service from the Ministry of Interior, Taiwan, ROC in 2006, and Gusi Peace Award from the Philippines in 2008.

Dr. Lee was born in China and grew up in Taiwan. Dr. Lee first worked for the Taipei Police Department, attaining the rank of Captain. Dr. Lee came to the United States in 1965, and he earned his B.S. in Forensic Science from John Jay College in 1972. Dr. Lee continued his studies in biochemistry at NYU where he earned his Master’s Degree in 1974 and his Ph.D. in 1975. He has also received special training from the FBI Academy, ATF, RCMP, and other organizations. He is a recipient of 30 Honorary degrees: Doctorate Degrees of Science from the University of New Haven, University of Connecticut, Honorary Doctorate of Law from Roger Williams Law School, Mitchell College, American International University and Taiwan Scientific Technology University, Honorary Doctorate Degree in Humane Letters from the University of Bridgeport, St. Joseph College, Armstrong University in Hon Kong, Hwa Tong University in Taiwan, University of Law and Political Science in China, University of Spite in Croatia, International Burch University in Bosnia, in recognition of his contributions to Law and Science.

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Full Professor and Past Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra and visiting professor in several other European, Asian and South American universities. Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. Vice-President of the European Confederation of Experts on Evaluation and Repair of Bodily Injury. Past President of the International Academy of Legal Medicine, International Association of Forensic Sciences, World Association of Police Medical Officers, European Council of Legal Medicine, Mediterranean Academy of Forensic Sciences, Ibero-American Network of Forensic Sciences, Thematic Federation on Legal and Forensic Medicine of the European Union of Medical Specialists and of the Latin American Association of Medical Law, among others. President of the Portuguese National Academy of Medicine and Past President of the Portuguese National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences and of the Portuguese Medico-Legal Council. Works, on regular basis, as Temporary Forensic Consultant for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Member of the Forensic Advisory Board of the International Committee of the Red Cross and of the Forensic Expert Group of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims. As been awarded, among others, with the the 2014 Douglas Medal Award, the 2020 Clyde Snow Award and the 2020 Milton Helpern Award by the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and with the 2023 IAFS Human Rights Award.

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Antti Sajantila, MD
Professor of genetic and forensic
Head of the Department
University of Helsinki
Tel: +358 2941 27472
E-mail: antti.sajantila@helsinki.fi

EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Doctor of Medical Science, University of Helsinki, Finland
Licensed Physician, University of Helsinki, Finland
Title of docent in Forensic Genetics, University of Helsinki, Finland
Specialist in Forensic Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland

PREVIOUS PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS
Vice Director, Forensic DNA analysis, National Public Health Institute, Finland
Post-doctoral fellow, Ludwig Maximilian’s University, Munich, Germany
Head of Laboratory for Forensic Biology, Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
Lecturer in Forensic Medicine, Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
Invited Professor, Department of Biology, University of Ferrara, Italy
Invited Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Florence, Italy
Professor in Forensic Medicine, University of Oulu
Visiting professor, Institute of Applied Genetics, Department of Forensic and Investigative genetics, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, USA

AWARDS AND HONOURS
International Society for Forensic Haemogenetics (ISFH) Scientific Prize
Finnish Medical Foundation’s 40th Anniversary Science Prize
Professor honoraria causae, Pontificial University of Lima, Peru
Honorary Medal from the Finnish Association for Cherishing the Memory of the Dead of the War

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERSHIPS
International Journal of Legal Medicine
Forensic Science International Genetics Human Biology
Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology
Investigative Genetics (Editor-in-Chief, with Profs Budowle and Kayser)

ACADEMIC DISSERTATIONS
Currently supervisor for 4 PhD dissertations
Supervised or co-supervised 5 Master’s or Licentiate degree dissertations
Supervised or co-supervised 6 PhD dissertations
Peer-Reviewer of PhD dissertations 5 times
Opponent for PhD dissertations 4 times
Peer-Reviewer for adjunct professorship or docentship 2 times

NOMINATIONS FOR EXPERT COMMITTEES OR TEAMS
Member of Finnish identification team for identification of II world war human remains in Finnish - Russian border
Forensic advisor in State Committee on DNA analysis of refugees’ family reunion project (Ministry of Interior)
Member of the Finnish Forensic Expert Team in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (University of Helsinki and Ministry for Foreign Affairs)
Member of the Finnish Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) Team
Member of the Finnish Forensic Expert Team, nominated by United Nation´s Secretary General
Kofi Annan, the Jenin Refugee Camp (chaired by President Martti Ahtisaari)
Member of the Finnish Forensic Expert Team as an adviser for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Peru
Vice-chair of the Interpol’s DVI Pathology Working Group
Member of the International Council for Rehabilitation for Torture Victims’ International Forensic Expert Group
Forensic Consult of the Fujian Provincial Police Department, China

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Innovative Insights: AI’s Role in Enhancing Forensic Toxicology

Heesun Chung, Ph.D
Department of Forensic Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Korea

Forensic toxicology plays a critical role in the detection and analysis of toxic substances in biological specimens, aiding both criminal investigations and public health monitoring. However, the field faces numerous challenges, including the emergence of new psychoactive substances. Can Artificial Intelligence (AI) effectively address these challenges?

The advent of AI has brought a new wave of innovation, greatly enhancing the capabilities and efficiency of forensic toxicology. AI technologies such as machine learning algorithms, deep learning models, and neural networks are transforming traditional toxicological methods.

Key applications of AI in forensic toxicology include automated data processing, pattern recognition in toxicological profiles, predictive modeling for substance abuse trends, and the integration of AI-driven platforms with existing laboratory information systems. These innovations not only streamline workflows but also significantly reduce human error, thereby enhancing the reliability of toxicological reports used in legal contexts.

Case studies demonstrating successful AI implementations in forensic investigations will highlight both the practical benefits and potential pitfalls.

The keynote also explores the challenges and ethical considerations associated with implementing AI in forensic toxicology, including data privacy, algorithmic bias, and the need for standardized protocols. Additionally, integrating AI presents practical hurdles such as data quality issues and the necessity for thorough validation processes. Addressing these issues is vital for maintaining public trust and ensuring the fair use of AI-generated evidence.

Looking ahead, the keynote will explore future directions for AI in forensic toxicology, emphasizing the need for continuous technological innovation, the development of robust regulatory frameworks, and the essential training of forensic professionals to effectively utilize AI tools. By integrating cutting-edge technology with forensic expertise, AI has the potential to elevate the standards of forensic toxicology, leading to more accurate and just legal outcomes.

In conclusion, AI is surpassing human capabilities in forensic science, revolutionizing the analysis and interpretation of evidence. Embracing AI innovations is essential for advancing the field, ensuring that forensic science reaches new levels of precision and reliability in the pursuit of justice.

Keywords; Artificial Intelligence, Forensic Toxicology, Machine learning algorithms, Deep learning models, Neural networks

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Dr Joe Adserias

Dr Joe Adserias is a Forensic Anthropologist , Forensic Odontologist and Oral Surgeon in Spain. Where she is directing and teaching in different postgraduate programes in Forensic Science. She is an external advisor of Mossos d´Esquadra (Catalonian Police), who condecorated her for her contribution in forensic casework. She is collaborating in research with the Smithsonian Institution, University of Tennessee, Mercyhurst University, and other academic institutions in Europe. Her research is focused in postmortem interval and burned remains. She is Member of the INTERPOL DVI Odontology Working Group, and Member of the INTERPOL DVI Anthropology Working Group. She is Diplomate by the American Board of Forensic Odontology, where she serves at Dental Identificacion Commitee.