A national conference on forensic science runs from July 1 to 3 at The Robert Gordon University’s (RGU) School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences.
The Fourth National FORREST (FORensic RESearch and Teaching) Conference has attracted lecturers and practitioners from across the UK and beyond to converge, for the first time in Scotland, to promote and develop links between Higher Education and forensic science research. The conference will showcase some of the latest developments in forensic research and the teaching of the subject through a number of high profile speeches, workshops, public lectures and poster sessions. With the continued support of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) Physical Sciences Centre, it will provide a platform for the very best students and projects to be presented to an influential audience.
One of the workshops taking place will focus on the Aberdeen uni school’s collaboration with an Aberdeen-based company called R2S (Return 2 Scene) CRIME. Students have had the opportunity to work with the business’ Windows-based asset management system which enables every aspect of a location to be digitally recorded and integrated with a variety of other media, producing a 360° ‘walk-through’ environment. The capability of the system will be showcased during the conference and delegates will be able to see how the R2S software enables links to corresponding maps, photos, notes, audio and video files, 3D animation and other material relevant to the scene. This allows all involved in the investigation to view a scene and to contribute and reference information about it.
A number of other practical sessions will cover topics such as the latest developments in DNA profiling, the identification of fraudulent signatures, the use of soil as forensic evidence and techniques for the investigation of suspected cases of arson, or Wilful Fire-raising.
Dr James Grieve, a Forensic Pathologist for the North of Scotland and Grampian area is one of speakers. He is a Senior Lecturer in Forensic Medicine at the University of Aberdeen and has carried out numerous post-mortem investigations including sudden unexpected natural events, suicides, homicides and accidents, as well as deaths possibly resulting from medical mishap. He regularly gives evidence in the criminal courts and at Fatal Accident Inquiries.
A senior scientist from the UK’s premier land use research centre is also to deliver a public lecture at the conference. Dr Lorna Dawson of the Macaulay Institute will give an insight into her work on the Soilfit Project, a study which has received major funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
Dr Dawson is part of the Environmental Sciences Group at the Macaulay and has over 20 years experience in conducting and managing research in plant-soil interactions. The Soilfit Project aims to develop tools for soil characterisation for use in forensics.
The public lectures (which start at 1.30 pm on Wednesday 2 July), are sponsored by the Royal Society of Chemistry, and will include talks on the ‘Detection of Doping in Horses’ by John Monaghan, University of Edinburgh, and the use of ‘Nanotechnology in Forensic Science’ by David Russell, University of East Anglia.
Dr Andrew Morrisson, Associate Head of the School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, who has been leading plans for the event said: "The fact that the event is coming to the University is a reflection of the extremely high quality of forensic science teaching and research at RGU."
Visit www.heacademy.ac.uk/forrest
