Current Trends in Forensic Toxicology Symposium (2026)
Live Online Forensic Symposium
Welcome to the 2026 Current Trends in Forensic Toxicology Symposium,
The theme for this year's conference is “Forensic Toxicology – It’s a Small World Afterall.” This year, we focus on how interconnected we are as practitioners in the field of Forensic Toxicology. This theme reflects the impact of open borders, the internet, and access to information 24/7.
Our topics for the five-day conference include Global Detection Trends, NPS, AI/Machine Learning/Technology Advances, Back to Basics, Future Challenges or Directions. We’ll begin by sharing information on what drugs are being detected in different parts of the world, offering critical insights into global drug trends. Day two will focus on novel psychoactive substances (NPS). Day three will be a review of how to leverage AI, machine learning and other technologies to streamline workflows. Thursday will be devoted to a review of basic concepts needed for practicing toxicologists. We will wrap up the week with a critical view on future challenges facing the field of Forensic Toxicology.
We hope you find that this year’s symposium offers a little something for everyone irrespective of your experience on the bench. Furthermore, the selected speakers were chosen to provide a global perspective of the practice of forensic toxicology. Speakers will be sharing their experience with participants from around the world.
We can’t wait to share the insights and expertise of these incredible speakers with you, and we hope to see as many of you there as possible!
Program Chairs:
- Dr. Robert Sears (South Caroline Law Enforcement Division)
- Dr. Geraldine Dowling (Atlantic Technological University)
- Dr. Sabra Jones (U.S. Regional Toxicology Liaison, Northeast)
- Dr. Lorna Nisbet (Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science)
Registration
Registration Fees
PLEASE HELP SAVE YOUR SEAT!! There is no registration fee for this event! If you are able, we are requesting a voluntary donation of $10 USD per attendee that can be made by clicking by clicking the PayPal button below. Why? We pay a fee for every online “seat”. Due to its popularity, we have had to close registration for past events once the number of seats we could afford to purchase were filled. Our goal this year is NOT to shut down registration, but rather to provide a seat for everyone that would like one. A small donation from each attendee would allow this to happen. If you cannot donate, you are still very welcome to attend the event. Thank-you for your kind consideration and we hope you enjoy this year’s program.
Program
Schedule
DAY 1 – MONDAY
08:45 – Welcome & Introductions
- Lt. Robert M. Sears, PhD, F-ABFT; Geraldine M. Dowling, BSc, MSc, PhD, SFHEA
09:00 – Prescription Drugs: Closing the Testing Gap
- Kristen Burke, Regional Toxicology Liaison – Western Region, USA
09:30 – An Update from the EU Early Warning System (EWS)
- Thomas Néfau, European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA)
10:00 – Closing Gaps in Forensic Toxicology Resources
- Matthew Myers, DrugImpairment.com
10:15 – Monitoring the Emergence of NPS in the United States
- Brianna N. Stang, Center for Forensic Science Research and Education (CFSRE), USA
10:45 – Brazilian Landscape of New Psychoactive Substances: Trends, Challenges, and Perspectives
- Alexandre Barcia Godoi, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil
11:15 – Drug Screen Suite & Beyond: Pathways for Implementing HRMS
- Christopher Elicone, Bruker Daltonics, USA
11:30 – Discussion Panel
- Panel Speakers
DAY 2 – TUESDAY
08:45 – Welcome & Introductions
- Program Chairs
09:00 – NPS Trends in the United States: Keeping Austin Weird
- Kayla N. Ellefsen, Travis County Medical Examiner, USA
09:30 – Pharmacokinetics and Metabolic Profiling of Synthetic Cathinones
- Annagiulia Di Trana, National Institute of Health, Italy
10:00 – The Power of Xevo MRT in Forensic Toxicology
- Davor Fielitz, Waters GmbH, Germany
10:15 – HRMS Screening Validation: Practical LOI Approach
- Jari Rubbens, NICC, Belgium
10:45 – In Vitro Pharmacology of Emerging Designer Cathinones
- Emma Vertriest, Ghent University, Belgium
11:15 – Enhancing NPS Characterization Using EAD
- Kendra Adams, SCIEX
11:30 – Discussion Panel
- Panel Speakers
DAY 3 – WEDNESDAY
08:45 – Welcome & Introductions
- Program Chairs
09:00 – Machine-Learning Approaches to NPS Identification
- Michael Skinnider, Princeton University, USA
09:30 – Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Forensic Toxicology
- Luke N. Rodda, San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, USA
10:00 – Student Poster Award
- Center for Forensic Science Research & Education (CFSRE)
10:15 – AI: Don’t Panic (And Learn the Basics)
- Brigitte Desharnais, Laboratoire de sciences judiciaires et de médecine légale, Canada
10:45 – From Concentration to Context: Forensic Toxicology in the Age of AI
- Ashraf Mozayani, Texas Southern University, USA
11:15 – Quantitative Separation Workflow for THC Analytes
- Peter J. W. Stone, Agilent Technologies
11:30 – Discussion Panel
- Panel Speakers
DAY 4 – THURSDAY
08:45 – Welcome & Introductions
- Program Chairs
09:00 – Navigating the Unknown: Mass Spectral Interpretation
- Alex J. Krotulski, Center for Forensic Science Research and Education, USA
09:30 – Drug Chemistry Basics: The Role of pKa
- Madeleine J. Swortwood, Robson Forensic, USA
10:00 – SPE-HILIC Strategy for GHB Analysis in Forensic Matrices
- Luette Muir, UCT, USA
10:15 – Don’t Forget About Metabolism/Excretion!
- Emily Fenton, NMS Labs, USA
10:45 – From Drug to Driver: Core Pharmacology Concepts
- Sabra Jones, RTL Program, USA
11:15 – What’s New with Benzodiazepine NPS
- Kirk W. Hering, Cayman Chemical, USA
11:30 – Discussion Panel
- Panel Speakers
DAY 5 – FRIDAY
08:45 – Welcome & Introductions
- Program Chairs
09:00 – Shaping the Future of Forensic Toxicology
- F. Wayne Lewallen, North Carolina State Crime Laboratory, USA
09:30 – The Smoke From Just Beyond the Horizon
- Peter Stout, Houston Forensic Science Center, USA
10:00 – BAC and GC Technology Ain’t Going Anywhere!
- Jeremy P. Smith, Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, USA
10:15 – High Throughput Analyses in Modern Forensic Toxicology
- Dimitri Gerostamoulos, Victoria Institute of Forensic Medicine, Australia
10:45 – Evaluation of Alcohol Biomarkers in Civil Cases
- Sharnette Ashiru, Kingston University, UK
11:15 – Quantitating Drugs of Abuse in Whole Blood Using LC-MS/MS
- Courtney Patterson, Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA
11:30 – Discussion Panel
- Panel Speakers
Sponsors
- Agilent Technologies
- Bruker
- Cayman
- cfsre - The Center for Forensic Science Research & Education
- DRUG Impairment.com
- Shimadzu
- SCIEX
- Thermo Fisher Scientific
- UCT
- Waters
