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. IntroductionPrinciples of Forensic SciencesForensic Classification of EvidenceInterpretation/The Comparative MethodToxicology: HistoryToxicology: Overview and ApplicationsSection 2. MethodsCapillary Electrophoresis: Basic PrinciplesCapillary Electrophoresis in Forensic ChemistryChromatography: Basic PrinciplesLiquid and Thin-Layer ChromatographyLiquid Chromatography-Mass SpectrometryGas Chromatography-Mass SpectrometryNonchromatographic Separation TechniquesSpectroscopic TechniquesSpectroscopy: Basic PrinciplesSection 3. Pharmacology and DrugsAnalysis of Controlled SubstancesClassification  Designer DrugsPharmacology and Mechanism of Action of DrugsVolatile Substances and InhalantsAlcohol Congeners and the Source of EthanolHerbal psychoactive substancesHerbal Medicines and Phytopharmaceuticals – contaminationSection 4. MatricesBlood Urine and Other Body Fluids Blood Breath Alcohol Metabolites of Ethanol Oral Fluid Drugs in HairPostmortem Blood Urine Postmortem Specimens Behavioral ToxicologyStomach Contents AnalysisSection 5. InterpretationMeasurement UncertaintyPostmortem Toxicology: ArtifactsInterpretation of ResultsMethods of Analysis-Initial TestingMethods of Analysis-Confirmatory TestingChemometricsInterpretationSection 6. Professional IssuesFrom Crime Scene to CourtForensic Laboratory ReportsHealth and SafetyPostmortem SpecimensDrug Facilitated CrimesDrug-Impaired DrivingDrug Screening in Sport