Meeting Program

With over 1200 abstracts submitted from across the globe, the Organising Committee is proud to announce the comprehensive IAFS 2023 Scientific Program. IAFS 2023 is the only worldwide association bringing together academics and practitioners across all forensic science disciplines including forensic medicine.

This highly anticipated Scientific Program will contribute to developing forensic sciences and assist forensic scientists and others to exchange scientific and technical information.

The Meeting theme is ‘where to from here?’. The theme asks the forensic science community to review contemporary practices and consider strategies to improve operational contributions and effectiveness in the light of both current and future challenges.

Program at a glance

Oral and Poster Award Winners

Anthropology & Archaeology

Best Oral

Best Poster

Ridhwan Dawud Lye

Forensic Anthropological Research in Indonesia: Developing a Sex Estimation Standard for the Contemporary Population

Rebecca Hancock

Characterisation of Skeletal Remains using Field Portable FTIR Spectroscopy

Chemical Criminalistics

Best Oral

Best Poster

Caroline Mireault

When One Case of Fake Boots and Perfumes Leads to a Scientific investigation of counterfeit goods

Mickayla Dustin

Is Smartphone Glass Really a Problem?

Crime Scene Investigation

Best Oral

Best Poster

Theresa Stotesbury

DNA Crosslinked Alginate Hydrogels: New Materials for Forensic Blood Substitutes

Emma Bonaccordo

Digital Panoramic Imaging to Improve Documentation and Off-Site Analysis of Bloodstain Patterns

Education & Training

Best Oral

Best Poster

Rachel Nickerson

Transformational vs Transactional: Utilising Technology to Improve Access to Training and Information

Vincent Mousseau

Motivation for Becoming a Crime Scene Examiner: A Longitudinal Study of Quebec Police Recruits

Fingerprint Evidence & Biometrics

Best Oral

Best Poster

Chloe George

Examination of Phalangeal Friction Ridge Flow Trends

Jemmy Bouzin

Modification of Wet UCIO Powder Suspension for Fingermark Development on Adhesive Tapes for Use in Seychelles

Fires & Explosions

Best Oral

Best Poster

Aaron Horrocks

Characterisation and Source Determination of Chlorate-Based Homemade Explosive Materials

Min-Hui Son

Detection of Explosives in Post-blast Debris of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs): A Preliminary Study

Forensic Taphonomy & Entomology

Best Oral

Best Poster

Noemi Procopio

Exploring Post-Mortem Interval Estimation Through Analysis of the Gravesoil Thanatomicrobiome of an Experimental Mass Grave

Madison Bone

Exploring Algal Succession in Isolated Freshwater and Saltwater Environments as a PMSI Indicator

Illicit Drugs & Clandestine Laboratorie

Best Oral

Best Poster

Shimpei Watanabe

Structural Determination of Synthetic Cannabinoids by Single Crystal X-ray Analysis using the Crystalline Sponge Method

Morgan Alonzo

Scott Test 2.0: An Improved Presumptive Colour Test for Cocaine

Military Forensic Science & Counterterrorism

Best Oral

Best Poster

Rebecca Pitman

Modified Powder Suspensions for Fingermark Detection on Adhesive Tapes in Austere or Contested Environments

Tim Ditcham

Quantitative Morphological Analysis of Uranium Ore Concentrates – An Emerging Signature for Nuclear Forensics

Science, Justice & Legal Issues

Best Oral

Best Poster

Rosanne de Roo

Forensic Advisors in the Netherlands and Their Role in the Criminal Justice System

Ellen Konza

‘Collective Knowledge’: An Alternative Framework for Reforming Knowledge Production in Forensic Science

Wildlife Forensics & Environmental Crime

Best Oral

Best Poster

Fabienne Pfeiffer

Hydrophobic Contaminants in the Lake Geneva Basin: Large-scale Surveillance and Investigation of Pollution Sources

Carla Alonso O’Friel

Genetic Investigation of Turtle Scutes from a Seizure at the United Kingdom Border – A Contribution to Shellbank

Biological Criminalistics

Best Oral

Best Poster

Kevin Cheng

Results from the Developmental Validation of STRmix™ NGS, a Probabilistic Genotyping Tool for the Interpretation of Autosomal STRs from Forensic Profiles Generated using NGS

Kaitlyn Hart

Identification of Skeletal Remains Using Toenails

Clinical Forensic Medicine & Forensic Nursing

Best Oral

Best Poster

Signe Winther-Jørgensen

Clinical Forensic Medicine in Greenland – Perspectives on Areas with a Challenging Geography

Ellinor Algin

Visualization of Inflicted Bruises Using a DSLR Camera and Alternate Light Sources up to 98 Days after Bruising

Document Examination

Best Oral

Best Poster

Michelle Ho

TextOracle: An AI Programme to aid in Forensic Handwriting Examination

Michael Adamos

Evaluation of Spectroscopic Techniques as an Additional Dimension to Forensic Ink Examination

Digital Forensic Science & Electronic Evidence

Best Oral

Best Poster

Sriyal Mendis

Windows 11 and the Dawn of the TPM – A Forensically Sound Way to Beat It

Erica Hedberg

Forensic Image Comparison of Firearms – A Method Implemented at NFC, Sweden

Firearms & Toolmarks

Best Oral

Best Poster

Matthew Bolton

On the Effect of Decomposition Processes on Fired Bullet Striae and Post-mortem Interval Estimates

Joel Waszczuk

Misidentifications of Alphanumeric Characters in Serial Number Restorations

Forensic Pathology

Best Oral

Best Poster

Pia Genet

Evaluation of the Added Value of Postmortem Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Cases of Pediatric Deaths Compared to Postmortem Computed Tomography and Autopsy

Henrik Druid

Effect of Experimental Decomposition on Histological Immunopositivity of Common Antibodies

Humanitarian Forensic Science

Best Oral

Best Poster

Rafael Resty Lerma

The Philippine War on Drugs: A Photographic Journey

Yehui Lv

A Bibliometric Analysis of Research Trends for Missing Persons Globally and in East Asia

Management & Quality Assurance

Best Oral

Best Poster

Tamara Comrie

What Backlog? A Developing Country’s Perspective on Caseload Reduction.

Julie Murakami

Reduced Turn-around Times: A Model for Optimised Workflows in Property Crime

Odontology

Best Oral

Best Poster

Ryan Choi

A Freeware System for Forensic 3D Dental Comparisons

Harry Perkins

3D Image Availability and Awareness of their Forensic Significance in South Australian Dental Practices

Toxicology & Pharmacology

Best Oral

Best Poster

Yannick Wartmann

Unravelling Cytochrome P450 Enzyme Phenotypes Using an Untargeted LC-qTOF-MS-Based Metabolomics Approach

Archie Lambrinos

Development of a Presumptive Test for the Detection of Illicit Fentanyl and its Analogues

Full Program

Scientific Program as of November 2023 and subject to change

PDF Program

Scientific Program as of 17 November 2023 and subject to change

Mini Oral Program

Program as of 21 November 2023, and subject to change.
All mini-oral presentations will take place during the lunch breaks in the Exhibition.

Digital Posters

View all the digital posters here and have the ability to rank or ask questions to authors.

Oral Briefing Notes

Abstract submission portal

Digital Poster Guidelines

Digital poster template

Publication

Your IAFS 2023 committee has been working with two leading forensic science journals to provide the opportunity for publication of your paper.

Both submissions will open on 1 November and close on 31 January.

Please refer directly to the links below for further details and submission information.

Extended abstracts in the Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences

Full peer-reviewed papers in Forensic Science International

Official list of Disciplines

Anthropology & Archaeology

Issues relevant to the recovery and examination of human remains (e.g., from clandestine burials), physical anthropology (including human osteology), and the application of archaeological methods to the collection and interpretation of traces.

Biological Criminalistics

All aspects of forensic biology, including the collection and analysis of biological materials (from presumptive tests through to DNA profiling), and the interpretation of associated results.

Chemical Criminalistics

Physical and chemical analysis of materials, including glass, paint, textile fibres, and miscellaneous substances not covered elsewhere, and the interpretation of the associated results.

Clinical Forensic Medicine & Forensic Nursing

All aspects of clinical forensic medicine (clinical practices to support potential legal proceedings) and forensic nursing (nursing processes associated with the treatment of patients in cases of abuse, violence, criminal activity, liability, and accidents).

Crime Scene Investigation

Issues related to crime scene examinations and the disciplines generally covered by field-based practitioners (e.g., scene of crime detection, scene recording, footwear impressions, bloodstain pattern analysis, etc.)

Digital Forensic Science & Electronic Evidence

Forensic exploitation of the various forms of digital/electronic information that may form part of an investigation (e.g., data from mobile phones, laptops, PCs, PDAs, GPS systems, etc.), including its collection, analysis and interpretation.

Document Examination

The examination of questioned documents, including the physical and chemical analysis of paper, inks, toners, etc., and the interpretation of associated results.

Education & Training

Issues related to education and training across the various fields of forensic science, including tertiary education, online programs, short courses and continuing professional education.

Fingerprint Evidence & Biometrics

Physical and chemical techniques used for fingermark detection and enhancement, together with issues related to fingerprint identification, including the interpretation of fingerprint evidence. Also includes biometric technologies for authentication and identification purposes (e.g., access control) that measure and analyse human body characteristics, such as fingerprints, eye retinas and irises, voice patterns, facial configurations and hand measurements.

Firearms & Toolmarks

Issues related to scene examination, and specimen collection, analysis and interpretation for incidents involving firearms and toolmarks. This includes the chemical analysis of firearm discharge residues.

Fires & Explosions

Issues related to scene examination, specimen collection, analysis and interpretation for incidents involving fire or explosion. This includes the chemical analysis of fire debris and explosive residues.

Forensic Pathology

Pathology that focuses on medicolegal investigations of sudden or unexpected death with a view to determining cause, manner and mode of death.

Forensic Taphonomy & Entomology

The interrelated studies of the post-mortem changes of human remains – focusing largely on environmental effects – and the identification and biological attributes of insects with application to forensic investigations (e.g., through estimation of the post-mortem interval).

Humanitarian Forensic Science

The application of the knowledge and skills of forensic medicine and science to humanitarian action, especially following conflicts or disasters. This includes the forensic response to mass graves and mass-casualty incidents where Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) protocols are required, and complex investigations and prosecutions of international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Illicit Drugs & Clandestine Laboratories

Issues related to scene examination, specimen collection and analysis for incidents involving illicit drugs, including clandestine laboratories involved in the manufacture of illicit materials. Specimen analysis includes the application of chemical profiling techniques, related databases, and data interpretation issues.

Management & Quality Assurance

Aspects related to the management of forensic services, including quality assurance requirements (e.g., ISO 17025 accreditation).

Military Forensic Science & Counterterrorism

The military application of forensic techniques (including battlefield forensics) and issues specifically related to counterterrorism. This includes specimen collection and analysis where CBRN agents may be involved.

Odontology

Application of dental science to legal investigations, primarily involving the identification of human remains based on dental records, or the identification of an offender by comparing dental records to a bite mark left on a victim or at the scene.

Psychiatry & Behavioural Sciences

Psychiatric consultation and the assessment of mental health applied to legal matters, including clinical work with both offenders and victims. Behavioural science covers the various disciplines that deal with human actions, with such fields including sociology, social and cultural anthropology, and psychology.

Science, Justice & Legal Issues

Issues related to the interface between the various forensic science disciplines, the forensic science system and the justice system in its broadest definition, including how forensic evidence is perceived and interpreted by the legal community, how forensic evidence is presented in court, and how we can make forensic science more effective and reliable. This includes cases of alleged or actual wrongful conviction.

Toxicology & Pharmacology

Aspects related to the use of toxicology and other disciplines – such as analytical chemistry, pharmacology and clinical chemistry – as part of the medicolegal investigation into incidents of death, poisoning, and drug use. This includes the topic of anti-doping in sports.

Wildlife Forensics & Environmental Crime

Issues related to the physical and biochemical analysis of animal- and plant-based material that may be encountered in wildlife crime investigations (e.g., illegal trafficking of native animals and plants), as well as specimen collection and analysis for broader environmental crime investigations, such as pollution incidents.

Diversity Policy