Researcher Spotlights
"CARFS creates a great platform allowing industrial partners, government agencies, and academic researchers have deep discussions of needs and challenges in forensic science."
Hung-Jen Wu, PhD
Director of Graduate Studies, Chemical Engineering
Associate Professor, Chemical Engineering
Texas A&M University
Why are you excited to work with CARFS? As an academic scientist, I can directly learn the information from frontline workers and get their suggestions to improve my research works.
What is your inspiration? The last CARFS meeting in August 2024 was my first. I have worked on the development of portable sensors for biomedical application over 10 years. Since my sensing platform can be used to overcome the challenges in fentanyl detection, I started looking for the collaboration in the forensic science area. Dr. Aaron M. Tarone, who is the CARFS site director at Texas A&M University, introduced the organization to me. I appreciate the opportunity to learn various forensic science topics from the scientists, industrial partners, and federal agencies during the CARFS meeting.
Research Interests
Portable sensor development supporting detection of illicit drugs and controlled substances
Capabilities
- Nanomaterial Synthesis
- Advanced Spectroscopy/microscopy
- Computer Simulation
- Machine Learning
Advanced Instrumentation
- Raman Spectroscopy
- Nanomaterial Synthesis Equipment
- Machine Learning Programs for Spectral Data Analysis
"I'm excited to work with CARFS because it provides a unique platform for collaborative research that can have a real-world impact."
Britni Skillman, Ph.D., F-ABFT
Assistant Professor
Department of Forensic Science
College of Criminal Justice
Sam Houston State University
Webpage->
Why are you excited to work with CARFS? CARFS fosters interdisciplinary approaches, allowing me to integrate my expertise in forensic toxicology and novel psychoactive substances with cutting-edge techniques like liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. By working with CARFS, I can help advance the accuracy, efficiency, and reliability of toxicology investigations, ultimately contributing to the expansion of toxicology resources in the field to continue the advancement of forensic science.
What is your inspiration? My inspiration comes from having an equal appreciation for research and for quality assurance. My specific interests are in the growing complexity of forensic toxicology cases, particularly with the emergence of novel psychoactive substances. These compounds can be challenging to identify, and my goal is to develop methods that enhance detection and analysis without compromising the productivity of labs performing traditional casework workflows. I hope to improve detection and validation methods so that the need for traditional drug analysis is still supported with the inclusion of novel substances in testing panels.
Research Interests
- Novel psychoactive substances
- Polydrug trends
- Sedative hypnotics
- Metabolism
- Alternative matrices
- Postmortem toxicology
- Impaired driving
- LC-MS/MS
- HRMS
- Ion suppression/enhancement
- Method validation workflow assessment
Capabilities
- Identification of NPS and emerging drug threats
- Biomarker identification (warfare agents, drugs of abuse)
- Metabolism identification and structural identification
- Drug stability in toxicological matrices
- Human performance toxicology
- Postmortem toxicology/medicolegal death investigation
- Postmortem distribution (PMR)
- Alternative/challenging biological matrices
- Identification of drugs in hair and oral fluid
- Improved HRMS drug screening
- Metabolomics
- Improved methods for cyanide biomarker detection
- Various extraction types (LLE, SPE, lipid clean-up cartridges, SLE, etc.)
Advanced Instrumentation
- High resolution mass spectrometry (liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry) [LC-Q/TOF-MS]
- Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry [LC-MS/MS]
- Direct-inject/syringe infusion capabilities for LC/MS platforms
- Headspace gas chromatography/flame ionization detection [HS-GC/FID]
- Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry [GC/MS]
- ELISA/Microplate spectrophotometry
News
CARFS Poster Reception at AAFS, February 21, 2024
Student career funded by CARFS: Deidra Jordan
CARFS Announces Poster Presentations During the American Academy of Forensic Sciences 2024, in Denver CO - Download the list of posters
Student career funded by CARFS: Alexander Acosta
CARFS hosts a Poster Session during the American Academy of Forensic Sciences 2023, in Orlando FL - Download the list of posters
Student career funded by CARFS: Vidia Gokool
FIU CARFS Hosts Miami-Dade College and Braddock Senior High School Faculty and Students - Read the article