About IAFS

IAFS is a worldwide association of academics and practising professionals from several disciplines in forensic science, that include:

  • Forensic pathologists and death investigators
  • Forensic scientists
  • Professionals working in police, government or private forensic laboratories dealing with fingerprints, DNA, drug analysis, toxicology, firearms, documents, trace evidence, accident reconstruction, etc.
  • Other branches of forensic science, such as forensic psychiatry, forensic anthropology, medical law and bioethics, forensic odontology, forensic scientific research, etc.

IAFS objectives

  • Continued development of forensic sciences
  • Assist forensic scientists and other professionals to exchange scientific and technical information
  • Organise IAFS meetings every three years

History of IAFS 

IAFS is a not-for-profit, worldwide association, governed by a Council of Past Presidents, elected to organise triennial meetings. Previous Past Presidents and host cities of IAFS are:

1957 F.C. Thomas (Brussels, Belgium) 1984-1987 J.A.J. Ferris (Vancouver, Canada)
1957 C.P. Larson 1987-1990 W.J. Tilstone (Adelaide, Australia)
1957-1960 M. Helpern (New York, USA) 1990-1993 W. Bonte (Düsseldorf, Germany)
1960-1963 F.E. Camps (London, UK) 1993-1996 T. Takatori (Tokyo, Japan)
1963-1966 H. Gormsen (Copenhagen, Denmark) 1996-1999 B.A. J. Fisher (Los Angeles, USA)
1966-1967 H. Ward Smith 1999-2002 E. Bacchino (Montpellier, France)
1967-1969 D.M.Lucas (Toronto, Canada) 2002-2005 S.C. Leung (Hong Kong, China)
1969-1972 T.K. Marshall (Edinburgh, UK) 2005-2008 Ronald L. Singer (New Orleans, USA)
1972-1975 H. Hartmann (Zürich, Switzland) 2008-2011 D.N. Vieira (Madeira, Portugal)
1975-1978 W.G. Eckert (Wichita, USA) 2011-2014 H. Chung (Seoul, South Korea)
1978-1981 J. Chr. Giertsen (Bryggen, Norway) 2014-2017 M.S. Pollanen (Toronto, Canada)
1978-1984 S.S.Kind (Oxford, UK)