TIAFT Young Scientists CV's

The Current Committee consists of:

President: Frank T. Peters (Germany)

I was born in Germany's oldest city, Trier, in 1971. After finishing my studies of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe University in Frankfurt/Main, Germany and a year of practical training I obtained the licence to practice as a pharmacist in 1998. Then I started working as a research assistant, PhD student, and clinical toxicologist at the Department of Experimental and Clinical Toxicology of Saarland University in Homburg, Germany. After finishing my PhD in 2003, I worked in the same department as a post-doc fellow and Deputy Head of Department. In January 2009, I moved to Jena with family where since then I have been working as Head of Forensic & Clinical Toxicology in the Institute of Forensic Medicine of the University Hospital Jena.

My main research interests are biotechnological synthesis of drug metabolites, enantioselective analysis of amphetamines and amphetamine-like designer drugs, analysis of new designer drugs in blood samples, metabolism of drugs and poisons, determination of sedating drugs in the context of declaration of brain death, and experimental designs and statistical procedures for analytical method validation. I am author or co-author of quite a number of peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. My first TIAFT meeting was in Helsinki in 2000 and I liked it so much I applied for TIAFT membership as soon as I got home. Since then I have attended each of its annual meetings. Besides TIAFT, I am a member of IATDMCT (and chairman of its Young Scientist Committee), GTFCh, and DPhG.

My hobbies are spending time with my family, good food and drink, fighting the effects of the previous with sports (not very successfully though), reading, and just having a good time with friends.
 

Secretary: Madeline Montgomery (USA)

I have been a toxicologist with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States since 1996. I started as a student intern in the laboratory when it was in Washington, DC, and since 2003, have worked in the laboratory in Quantico, VA. My educational background is in chemistry and forensic toxicology. I received my undergraduate degree from the George Washington University, in Washington, DC.

I currently supervise the toxicology group of the FBI Laboratory. We analyze toxicological evidence from all over the United States in federal investigations. We also assist local police departments and coroners when they do not have the technology to perform certain analyses. I have testified in criminal trials in several jurisdictions around the United States. Our laboratory is currently involved in automating as many of our extractions as possible. My favorite analytical technique is liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry.

When not at work, I enjoy spending time with my husband and working on decorating our house. I am also a recreational runner, with one marathon and dozens of half marathons under my belt.
 

Committee Member: Jochen Beyer (Australia)

I work as a toxicologist at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine (VIFM) in Melbourne, Australia. My professional career started in Germany (where I was born) with the study of Pharmacy at the Ernst-Moritz Arndt University in Greifswald and the Saarland University Saarbruecken. After university, I started working as a research assistant, PhD student, and clinical toxicologist at the Department of Experimental and Clinical Toxicology of Saarland University in Homburg, Germany. After finishing my PhD I had a calling to the other side world to work as a post-doctoral fellow at VIFM where I stayed on to work as a senior toxicologist.

I have been a TIAFT member since my first meeting in Washington 2004, a very memorable moment in my professional life. I've recently taken on the task of co-editor of the TIAFT bulletin, a very satisfying but also time consuming work.

My hobbies include rock climbing, cycling and gardening. I'm also very passionate about the botany of toxic as well as edible plants.
 

Committee Member: Federica Bortolotti (Italy)

I was born in Trento, a small town in Northern Italy, in 1973. I got the degree in Medicine from University of Verona in 1998 and a post-doctoral degree in Forensic Medicine in 2002. I obtained the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the field of Forensic Sciences from the same University in 2006.

From October 2007 I started working as research assistant at the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Section of Forensic Medicine, University of Verona.

At present, I divide my time between the morgue and the forensic toxicology lab. My main research interests concern the diatom analysis for the diagnosis of drowning and the analysis of Carbohydrate Deficient Transferrin (CDT) for the diagnosis pf chronic alcohol abuse.

I am a member of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists (TIAFT) and have been since 2001 when I first went to TIAFT in Prague.

My main hobby is reading, mainly novels (French, Russian, Italian, American …). I also like very much cooking (Italian food, clearly!).
 

Committee Member: Simon Elliott (UK)

I have been working within Clinical and Forensic Toxicology for 12 years. I am currently the Head of the Forensic Toxicology Section at the Regional Laboratory for Toxicology in Birmingham, UK. I hold a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry from the University of Bath and a PhD (in Biochemical Toxicology) from the University of Birmingham. My PhD was based on all aspects of GHB, especially its endogenous nature. I have investigated a wide-range of cases but have a particular interest in "designer drugs". Surprisingly, I still enjoy method development although this is more supervisory now and publish and present whenever I get the time.

I am an active Member of numerous professional societies and enjoy meeting colleagues at the events (as well as the science, of course). My first TIAFT was in Helsinki in 2000 but have particular fond memories of TIAFT 2002 in Paris where I was fortunate enough to receive a Young Scientists Award.

My hobbies generally revolve around sport (football and squash) and entertaining my two young daughters. I support Mansfield Town Football Club (where I was born) as well as Liverpool FC. I also attempt to play the electric guitar (very badly) but like listening to music and watching films.
 

Committee Member: Sooyeun Lee (Korea)

I have worked as a forensic toxicologist for the National Institute of Scientific Investigation in Korea since 1997. I have dealt with many cases of drug and pesticide poisoning and drug abuse for the last several years. I have been also interested in chronic toxicity of pesticides and abused drugs, especially as endocrine disruptors. Currently I am involved in drug testing in hair. I have just finished my doctorate (Pharmacy) in the field of Toxicology at Sungkyunkwan University in Korea.

My first TIAFT meeting was in Melbourne in 2003. I was one of the members who prepared for the 43rd TIAFT meeting in Seoul, Korea in 2005, which was a great experience to me.

I enjoy cycling with my family (now my boy rides his bicycle better than me...), visiting art galleries, and reading travel books. Recently, I have started to learn how to play tennis.
 

Committee Member: Helena Texeira (Portugal)

My name is Helena Maria de Sousa Ferreira e Teixeira and I work at the National Institute of Legal Medicine, North Branch, in Portugal as the Director of the Forensic Toxicology Laboratory. I graduated in Pharmacy from the University of Coimbra in 1999. I also have a Master's degree in Experimental Pathology (University of Coimbra, 2001), PhD in Biomedical Sciences (Medicine Faculty at University of Coimbra, 2008) and the Superior Course of Legal Medicine.

I have been the TIAFT Representative for Portugal since 2004 and have authored or co-authored some 90 works presented in congresses (posters and/or oral/presentations) and 40 scientific published papers.

I am fluent in English, French and of course Portuguese!! I have been a member of the YSC for over 2 years now and look forward to many more productive years ahead with this committee of people.
 

Committee Member: Sarah Wille (Belgium)

I started my studies of Pharmaceutical Sciences in 1997 at Ghent University in Belgium. After obtaining my pharmacist degree in 2002, I noticed that research was really the thing I wanted to do. So I started to work as a research assistant in the lab of Forensic Toxicology at the same university under the mentorship of Prof. W. Lambert. In 2008, I obtained my Ph. D. degree and began working at the National Institute of Criminalistics and Criminology in Brussels. In this lab I'm a judicial expert Toxicology developing and validating analytical methods, implementing ISO 17025 rules and conducting research to increase our forensic expertise.

My main research interests are 'driving under the influence of drugs', the detection of drugs in alternative matrices such as oral fluid and hair, antidepressants and the effects of their metabolism on final therapy outcome and finally, interpretation of analytical results in forensic cases in general. I am the author of several peer-reviewed publications and have presented several times at TIAFT-meetings since the Washington meeting in 2004. Since that meeting, I try to participate every year as it's a splendid occasion to meet a lot of interesting and joyful scientists. I am also a member of IATDMCT and of their Young Scientist group.

In my spare time, my activities range from just having a cosy evening at home with my husband drinking a glass of wine, knitting or watching a good movie, to dancing around crazy at parties. I also enjoy backpacking around the world and meeting the locals just discussing about what's really important in life.