Forensic Toxicology

Dr. Max M. Houck is an international forensic expert with over 25 years of experience. Houck has experience in the private sector, academia, local government, and worked at the Federal Bureau of Investigation Laboratory Division. He has worked as a forensic anthropologist, a trace evidence analyst, a researcher, and has managed millions of dollars in grants and awards. Most recently, he was the inaugural Director of the Department of Forensic Sciences in Washington, D.C., overseeing 150 employees and managing the forensic science laboratory, the public health laboratory, and crime scene sciences for the nation’s capital. Houck has worked on a number of mass casualty scenes, including the Branch Davidian Investigation and the September 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon. Widely published, Houck has dozens of peer-reviewed journal articles and is the author and editor of numerous books. He is co-author of the best-selling Fundamentals of Forensic Science, Science of Crime Scenes, and Success with Expert Testimony, among others. He is the editor of the Advanced Forensic Science series of books. Houck is also founding co-editor of Forensic Science Policy and Management (the official journal of ASCLD), the only journal that addresses the management, policy, and administration of forensic science. Houck has served on numerous committees, including for the National Academies of Science, NIST, Interpol, The Royal Society, the Director of the FBI, and the White House. He is a popular public speaker and has given presentations at NASA, the Max Planck Institute, an Oxford Roundtable, as well as keynote talks at numerous international conferences. Houck has taught at several universities, including West Virginia University and University of Tampa. His research topics include management, leadership, and policy implications for forensic organizations. Houck has a Bachelors and Masters degree in anthropology from Michigan State University. He received his Ph.D. in Applied Chemistry Summa Cum Laude from Curtin University in Perth, Australia. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

[All sections will include Review questions, Discussion questions and Additional reading section]

Section 1. Introduction
Principles of Forensic Sciences
Forensic Classification of Evidence
Interpretation/The Comparative Method
Toxicology: History
Toxicology: Overview and Applications

Section 2. Methods
Capillary Electrophoresis: Basic Principles
Capillary Electrophoresis in Forensic Chemistry
Chromatography: Basic Principles
Liquid and Thin-Layer Chromatography
Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
Nonchromatographic Separation Techniques
Spectroscopic Techniques
Spectroscopy: Basic Principles

Section 3. Pharmacology and Drugs
Analysis of Controlled Substances
Classification 
Designer Drugs
Pharmacology and Mechanism of Action of Drugs
Volatile Substances and Inhalants
Alcohol Congeners and the Source of Ethanol
Herbal psychoactive substances
Herbal Medicines and Phytopharmaceuticals – contamination

Section 4. Matrices
Blood
Urine and Other Body Fluids
Blood
Breath Alcohol
Metabolites of Ethanol
Oral Fluid
Drugs in Hair
Postmortem Blood
Urine
Postmortem Specimens
Behavioral Toxicology
Stomach Contents Analysis

Section 5. Interpretation
Measurement Uncertainty
Postmortem Toxicology: Artifacts
Interpretation of Results
Methods of Analysis-Initial Testing
Methods of Analysis-Confirmatory Testing
Chemometrics
Interpretation

Section 6. Professional Issues
From Crime Scene to Court
Forensic Laboratory Reports
Health and Safety
Postmortem Specimens
Drug Facilitated Crimes
Drug-Impaired Driving
Drug Screening in Sport