When: This event occurred on May 16th - May 20th, 2022 from 8:45am - 12pm ET. All presentations and material have been archived for you to access as On-Demand content.

Welcome to the 2022 Current Trends Symposium on Forensic Toxicology. Now in its 5th year, this On-line Symposium has gained a reputation for creating a sense of community for forensic practitioners across the globe while disseminating timely and impactful information from recognized experts in their respective disciplines – a feat accomplished with no registration fee and no travel costs.

Many thanks go to this year’s Program Chairs – Dr. Karen S. Scott (Director of Forensic Science at Arcadia University) and Dr. Robert Kronstrand (Research Strategist for the National Board of Forensic Medicine and Professor of Forensic Toxicology, Linkoping University, Sweden) for their hard work and dedication in creating an exception program of world class speakers. Our deepest appreciation also goes to Dr. Lorna Nisbet (Senior Lecturer at the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science at the University of Dundee) for organizing this year’s poster session. So along with our plenary speakers, there will be a spectacular poster session, presentations on the very latest technology advances from our commercial partners, an exhibit hall, discussion boards, and afternoon workshops…all free of charge and without the cost or inconvenience of having to travel.

Collaborations in Forensic Toxicology

The relationships between forensic toxicologists and those we work with are crucially important to the level of work we are able to produce. This five-day symposium, the 5th of its kind, focuses on the symbiosis between toxicology and the external environments that are an essential element of our work.

Starting with drug facilitated crime, information gathered by those in the nursing profession, specifically trained to treat, interview and collect evidence from victims and perpetrators of sexual assault provide critical information that help with interpretation of toxicological evidence. Drugs may be present or absent from toxicology specimens and understanding timelines and case history is crucially important.

The novel psychoactive drug market continues to be challenging. By working closely with colleagues in drug enforcement and those who closely monitor emerging trends, Forensic Toxicology labs can be informed as new drugs appear and disappear from the market. Similarly, the trends that appear in toxicology labs should be released to government entities to inform of current trends for awareness purposes.

Newly emerging is the use of oral fluid as a tool for monitoring drugs in the driving population. On day three of the symposium we will compare the European and US approaches to introducing oral fluid testing at the roadside as both a deterrent to drugged driving and as a tool for monitoring drug use in the driving population.

Post-mortem toxicology is perhaps the most complex area for interpretive forensic toxicology and as such, the relationship between the toxicologist and pathologist is one of the most synergistic. Communication must run both ways to ensure both the correct analysis is performed and that the correct interpretation of toxicological findings can be achieved.

Finally, we culminate the week with presentations essential to every area of forensic toxicology by discussing approaches to calibration models and uncertainty of measurement. By ensuring we are using the correct mathematical tools with our data and understanding its robustness we strengthen its purpose in the courts of law.

We hope that you will join us for this exciting week of science as we explore these collaborations, and learn how to work hand in hand with colleagues outside the lab to strengthen our own understanding of our field.

PLEASE HELP SAVE YOUR SEAT!! There is no registration fee for this event! If you are able, we are requesting a voluntary donation of $10 USD per attendee that can be made by clicking by clicking the PayPal button below. Why? We pay a fee for every online “seat”. Due to its popularity, we have had to close registration for some of our past events once the number of seats we could afford to purchase were filled. Our goal this year is NOT to shut down registration, but rather to provide a seat for everyone that would like one. A small donation from each attendee would allow this to happen. If you cannot donate, you are still very welcome to attend the event. Thank-you for your kind consideration and we hope you enjoy this year’s program.

The event is free of charge and the content has been deemed appropriate for submission for continuing education credits by the American Board of Forensic Toxicology (ABFT).

Symposium Agenda