Membership in the Forensic Pathology/Biology Section

Forensic pathology is the application of the principles of pathology, and of medicine in general, to death investigations. Forensic pathologists perform autopsies to determine what caused a person's death. They are also involved in the investigation of the circumstances surrounding the death and play an important role in public health (i.e. disease and injury prevention.)

Careers in Pathology/Biology

I have been an AAFS member since the time of my pathology residency back in the mid-1990s and have attended as many annual meetings as possible. The best feature about the Academy is the opportunity to interact with scientists and experts with tremendously diverse backgrounds. The ability to learn from toxicologists, anthropologists, attorneys, medicolegal death investigators (and the list goes on) is a privilege that is unavailable at other scientific meetings I attend. And since my daily work routine frequently involves these other disciplines, staying current is essential.

- Jim Caruso, MD

Fellow

Section Leadership

Chris Milroy, MD, LLB

Email cmilroy@toh.on.ca

Section Board Director

Owen Middleton, MD

Email owen.middleton@hennepin.us

Section Chair

Lavinia Iancu, PhD

Email lavinia.iancu@outlook.com

Section Secretary

Hear from a Forensic Pathologist/Biologist

Forensic biology is the application of the life sciences to death investigations in order to help answer questions such as body location, body identification and postmortem interval. The forensic biologist typically serves as a forensic specialist. Forensic biology comprises diverse fields such as entomology, genetics, microbiology, ecology, and botany.

Pathology/Biology Section Awards

1. Candidates have demonstrated lifetime achievement and dedication to the mission of forensic pathology with a focus in the areas of leadership, service, and teaching.
2. Candidates have maintained an active role in AAFS as demonstrated by presentations and/or committee membership.
3. Candidates shall be a forensic pathologist (MD, DO or international equivalent) member of the Pathology/Biology Section and have attained the status of Fellow (or Retired Fellow) in the AAFS.
4. Candidate selection will be based on a vote of the Pathology/Biology Section Awards Committee.
5. In selecting the award winner, the committee may seek advice from all section members regarding candidates for this award, or appoint a sub-committee comprised of section members to select the candidate, or the committee may select the award recipient independently.
1. Candidates shall have demonstrated high achievement and exemplify excellence in the practice, advancement, and teaching of forensic applications of the life sciences (biology generally or in any area of biology specialization such as botany, entomology, zoology, etc.).
2. This award is to hold equal status with the Milton Helpern Award.
3. Candidates shall be a non-pathologist (PhD) member of the Pathology/Biology Section and have attained the status of Fellow (or Retired Fellow) in the AAFS. In selecting the award winner, the committee shall seek advice from all section members regarding candidates for this award, or appoint a sub-committee comprised of section members to select the candidate, or the committee may select the award recipient independently.
4. Candidate selection will be based on a vote of the Pathology/Biology Section Awards Committee.
1. Candidate: A resident or fellow in an accredited residency training program in the specialty of pathology or the subspecialty of forensic pathology during the time the subject matter of the paper was under investigation. One (1) paper per resident/fellow will be considered per year.
2. Subject Matter: Original forensic pathology research or original forensic pathology theory or technique can be presented. This analysis should not only include an interesting case study and review of the literature but should be original scientific research with the development of a hypothesis that is tested, resulting in a conclusion, or a survey of cases with conclusions that tangibly change the practice of application of the science in question to forensic matters or have public health implications. The research should adhere to HIPPA and IRB guidelines if applicable.
3. Manuscript: A complete manuscript in the format of the Journal of Forensic Sciences is required to be submitted for the competition. If the manuscript is not submitted, then the candidate's presentation is ineligible for the award. Format information can be found on the AAFS website, Resources, then Journal of Forensic Sciences tab. Click on the menu item "Instructions for Authors." After the presentation at the AAFS annual meeting, it is the author's responsibility to submit the paper to the Journal of Forensic Sciences for publication.
4. Presentation: The candidate must present the research at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences in the Pathology/ Biology Section. The presentation may be either an oral presentation or a poster presentation.
5. Award: The current prize is a $500 cash award, a memorial certificate, and a year's dues payment to the AAFS if the resident/fellow is a member. Often, the winner is also asked to moderate the Best Resident Paper competition at next year's AAFS Annual Conference. The judges may also elect an honorable mention award recipient who will receive a memorial certificate. If presentations do not meet criteria, then no winner will be named.
6. Judging: The presentations and manuscripts shall be reviewed by members of the Best Resident Paper Committee of the Pathology/Biology Section of the AAFS according to the criteria listed above for the quality of its scientific content.
1. Candidate: A student in a recognized medical school or school of osteopathic medicine during the time the subject matter of the paper was under investigation. One (1) paper per medical student will be considered per year.
2. Subject Matter Original forensic pathology research or original forensic pathology theory or technique can be presented. This analysis should not only include an interesting case study and review of the literature but should be original scientific research with the development of a hypothesis that is tested, resulting in a conclusion, or a survey of cases with conclusions that tangibly change the practice of application of the science in question to forensic matters or have public health implications. The research should adhere to HIPPA and IRB guidelines if applicable.
3. Manuscript: A complete manuscript in the format of the Journal of Forensic Sciences is required to be submitted for the competition. If the manuscript is not submitted, then the candidate's presentation is ineligible for the award. Format information can be found on the AAFS website, Resources, then Journal of Forensic Sciences tab. Click on the menu item "Instructions for Authors." After the presentation at the AAFS annual meeting, it is the author's responsibility to submit the paper to the Journal of Forensic Sciences for publication.
4. Presentation: The candidate must present the research at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences in the Pathology/ Biology Section. The presentation may be either an oral presentation or a poster presentation.
5. Award: The current prize is a $500 cash award and a memorial certificate. If presentations do not meet criteria, then no winner will be named.
6. Judging: The presentations and manuscripts shall be reviewed by members of the Best Medical Student Paper Award Committee of the Pathology/Biology Section of the AAFS according to the criteria listed above for the quality of its scientific content.
1. Candidate: A student in the specialty of the biological sciences during the time the subject matter of the paper was under investigation. One (1) paper per applicant will be considered per year. The applicant or their mentor should be a member of the Pathology/Biology Section.
2. Subject Matter: Original biological research pertaining to the forensic sciences can be presented. This analysis should not only include an interesting case study and review of the literature but should be original scientific research with the development of a hypothesis that is tested, resulting in a conclusion, or a survey of cases with conclusions that tangibly change the practice of application of the science in question to forensic matters or have public health implications. The research should adhere to HIPPA and IRB guidelines if applicable.
3. Manuscript: A complete manuscript in the format of the Journal of Forensic Sciences is required to be submitted for the competition. If the manuscript is not submitted, then the candidate's presentation is ineligible for the award. Format information can be found on the AAFS website, Resources, then Journal of Forensic Sciences tab. Click on the menu item "Instructions for Authors." After the presentation at the AAFS annual meeting, it is the author's responsibility to submit the paper to the Journal of Forensic Sciences for publication.
4. Presentation: The candidate must present the research at the annual conference of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences in the Pathology/ Biology Section. The presentation may be either an oral presentation or a poster presentation.
5. Award: The current prize is a $500 cash award, a memorial certificate, and a year's dues payment to the AAFS. Often, the winner is also asked to moderate the Forensic Biologist Trainee Paper competition at next year's AAFS Annual Conference. The judges may also elect an honorable mention award recipient who will receive a memorial certificate. If presentations do not meet criteria, then no winner will be named.
6. Judging: The presentations and manuscripts shall be reviewed by members of the Forensic Biologist Trainee Paper Committee of the Pathology/Biology Section of the AAFS according to the criteria listed above for the quality of its scientific content.

What's next?

Pathology/Biology Membership Requirements

Applicants are reccomended understand which requirements they have met to determine which *entry level status they may join.

Recent Pathology/Biology Section News

Section News | Pathology/Biology

All AAFS Sections

AAFS is organized into 12 sections that encompass many forensic science disciplines. AAFS is honored to have more than 6,500 members from around the globe.

Benefits of Membership

Membership in the Forensic Pathology/Biology Section

Section Leadership

Chris Milroy, MD, LLB

Owen Middleton, MD

Lavinia Iancu, PhD

Hear from a Forensic Pathologist/Biologist

Pathology/Biology Section Awards

Pathology/Biology Membership Requirements

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All AAFS Sections

Chris Milroy, MD, LLB

Owen Middleton, MD

Lavinia Iancu, PhD

The Milton Helpern Award

Award for Achievement in the Forensic Life Sciences

Best Resident Paper Award Eligibility Requirements

Best Medical Student Paper Award Eligibility Requirements

Best Forensic Biology Trainee Paper Award Eligibility Requirements

Pathology/Biology Membership Requirements

All AAFS Sections