ORGANIZERS
SHELBY SCOTT, PHD CANDIDATE, INSTRUCTOR
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SHELBY SCOTT IS A PHD CANDIDATE AND INSTRUCTOR OF FORENSIC SCIENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA. SHE RECEIVED HER MASTER OF SCIENCE (MSC) FROM SAINT MARYS UNIVERSITY, AND HAS BEEN ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN FORENSIC AND FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY CASEWORK OVER THE YEARS THROUGH HER WORK WITH THE NOVA SCOTIA MEDICAL EXAMINERS SERVICE AND THE COMMITTEE OF MISSING PERSONS (CMP) IN CYPRUS.
HER RESEARCH INTERESTS INVOLVE METHODS OF SKELETAL IDENTIFICATION (PARTICULARLY IN HUMANITARIAN AND DISASTER CONTEXTS), SKELETAL IMAGING, AND HUMAN SKELETAL VARIATION, INCLUDING THE USE OF NONMETRIC, EPIGENETIC TRAITS OF THE POSTCRANIAL SKELETON FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF UNKNOWN HUMAN REMAINS. SHELBY IS PASSIONATE ABOUT THE FIELD OF FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY, INCLUDING BOTH TEACHING AND RESEARCH. SHE HAS DESIGNED AND IMPLEMENTED A NUMBER OF DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH ENDEAVOURS, AND REGULARLY PUBLISHES HER WORK IN LEADING SCIENTIFIC AND PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS.
LELIA WATAMANIUK, PHD CANDIDATE
LELIA WATAMANIUK IS A PHD CANDIDATE AT THE DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY, MCMASTER UNIVERSITY, AND AN INSTRUCTOR FOR THE FORENSIC SCIENCE PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA. HER RESEARCH INTERESTS INCLUDE THE HISTOPATHOLOGICAL DETECTION OF ANEMIAS AND OTHER METABOLIC DISEASES IN THE HUMAN SKELETON, THE APPLICATION OF SPECIAL STAINING TECHNOLOGY TO ARCHAEOLOGICAL REMAINS, AND THE SEARCH FOR AND IDENTIFICATION OF HUMAN REMAINS IN A FORENSIC CONTEXT.
SHE HAS PARTICIPATED IN SEARCHES FOR HUMAN REMAINS WITH THE OPP AND NIAGARA POLICE SERVICES, AND HAS PARTICIPATED IN LABORATORY ANALYSIS IN THE FORENSIC INVESTIGATION OF REMAINS. SHE ALSO TRAINS GRADUATE STUDENTS IN LABORATORY METHODS FOR THE HISTOPATHOLOGY OF BONE. SHE IS A MEMBER OF 'PLEASE BRING ME HOME', A PRIVATE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION SEARCHING FOR MISSING PERSONS IN ONTARIO.
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FACULTY
ADVISORS
TRACY ROGERS, PHD
IN ADDITION TO BEING THE DIRECTOR OF THE FORENSIC SCIENCE PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERISTY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA AND ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ANTHROPOLOGY, DR. TRACY ROGERS IS A FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGIST WHO HAS BEEN ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN CASE WORK SINCE 1998, AND IS CURRENTLY A CONSULTANT TO THE ONTARIO FORENSIC PATHOLOGY SERVICE. DR. ROGERS HAS WORKED ON CASES IN ONTARIO, MANITOBA, AND B.C., AND MOST NOTABLY WAS THE PRIMARY FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGIST DURING THE INVESTIGATION OF SERIAL KILLER ROBERT PICKTON IN 2002-2003. SHE HAS BEEN QUALIFIED AS AN EXPERT WITNESS IN THE B.C. SUPREME COURT, THE COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH OF MANITOBA, AND THE ONTARIO COURT OF JUSTICE.
HER RESEARCH INTERESTS INVOLVE THE IDENTIFICATION OF UNKNOWN SKELETAL REMAINS, INCLUDING: METHODS OF ESTIMATING THE AGE-AT-DEATH AND SEX AN INDIVIDUAL FROM THE SKELETON, SKELETAL TECHNIQUES FOR ASSESSING THE ANCESTRY/BIOGEOGRAPHICAL ORIGIN OF THE DECEASED, AND POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION OF UNIDENTIFIED HUMAN REMAINS. RELATED TOPICS INCLUDE FACTORS INFLUENCING SKELETAL HEALTH, THE STUDY OF JUVENILE SKELETONS,TRAUMA ANALYSIS, AND THE APPLICATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO THE DOCUMENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF OUTDOOR CRIME SCENES AND CLANDESTINE GRAVES.
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NICOLE NOVROSKI, PHD
DR. NICOLE NOVROSKI IS AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY AN THE FORENSIC SCIENCE PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA. HER RESEARCH INTERESTS INVOLVE THE ADVANCEMENT OF FORENSIC DNA TYPING AND ANALYSIS USING NOVEL BIOLOGICAL AND INSTRUMENTATION APPROACHES. SPECIFICALLY, DR. NOVROSKI IS FOCUSED ON MINING THE HUMAN GENOME FOR GENETIC MARKERS WITH IMPROVED DNA MIXTURE DECONVOLUTION CAPABILITIES.
DR. NOVROSKI IS PASSIONATE ABOUT THE FUTURE OF FORENSIC BIOLOGY AND GENETICS, AND HAS A GREAT INTEREST IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF MASSIVELY PARALLEL SEQUENCING INTO THE CRIME LABORATORY, COUPLED WITH THE INTEGRATION OF ADDITIONAL HUMAN IDENTIFICATION MARKERS INTO FORENSIC CASEWORK. SHE IS ALSO INTERESTED IN EXPANDING THE CAPABILITIES OF MISSING PERSONS CASEWORK AND DATABASING, MICROBIAL FORENSICS, PHARMACOGENETICS, COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY AS IT PERTAINS TO FORENSIC GENETIC DATA, AND IMPROVED METHODS FOR THE COLLECTION AND PROCESSING OF FORENSIC BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE.
RASMUS ROSENBERG LARSEN, PHD
DR. RASMUS ROSENBERG LARSEN IS A LECTURER IN THE FORENSIC SCIENCE PROGRAM AND IN THE PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT. RASMUS' MAIN RESEARCH INTERESTS COVER ISSUES IN FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY, MENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH, AND BIOMEDICAL ONTOLOGY.