Our research

Research areas

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• Crime scene investigation and decision-making

  Crime scene investigation is the first critical step of the forensic science pipeline. Decisions made at the scene affect downstream analysis and interpretation of forensic traces. Crime scene investigation and decision-making research at CFS uses a holistic evidence-based approach, informed by industry collaborations, to improve search practice and explore the place of new technologies at the scene.

  Our research focuses on:

  • The examination of investigator-based evaluation, interpretation, and integration of forensic information during crime scene examinations.
  • Understanding how emerging technologies (such as sensors, AI tools, or decision-making dashboards) may support forensic workflows and decision-making processes at the crime scene.
  • Specialist search capabilities, including evaluating and developing evidence-based search methodologies for detecting and recovering simple, complex, opportunistic and constructed hides at crime scenes and during search warrants.
  • Assessing contemporary imaging and three-dimensional scene reconstruction approaches to improve search planning, hide detection and scene documentation.

• Criminalistics

  Criminalistics is a broad field of forensic science that encompasses a wide range of traces; including paint, fibres, glass, inks, soil, gunshot residues, and tool marks. By focusing on these microscopic traces, forensic scientists can establish links between victims, suspects and/or the crime scene in order to assist investigators in determining the sequence of events that lead to the crime occurring. By engaging strongly with forensic science practitioners, international researchers and other universities, CFS has built a strong industry driven research profile in the area of criminalistics.

  Our research focuses on:

  • The development and validation of new techniques for the analysis of microtraces.
  • Increasing our understanding of the value and interpretation of the different microtraces 
  • Developing new methods and workflows for the analysis and interpretation of tool marks and 3D printed objects.
  • Expanding the role of microtraces and impression traces in forensic science.  

• Drugs and forensic toxicology

  The CFS Drugs and Forensic Toxicology group is running active research programs concerning primarily drugs of abuse in collaboration with world leading experts from both forensic industry and academic organisations. 

  Our research focuses on three main areas:

  • Forensic Drug Analysis that concerns the effective identification of drugs of abuse including the new and emerging psychoactive substances seized by law enforcement agencies on the street, at clandestine laboratories or at the border control. 
  • Forensic Toxicology that focuses on the detection and quantification of drugs of abuse and their metabolites in biological matrices such as blood, urine, oral fluid and hair to serve clinical and medico-legal purposes with applications spreading from workplace drug testing, racing and sports drug testing, road-side random drug testing to coronial investigation (cause of death by drugs/poisons).
  • Clinical Toxicology that aims to understand the mechanisms of harms caused by substance abuse and to develop therapeutic agents for clinical intervention.

• Fingerprints

  The CFS fingerprint research group brings together a dynamic team of researchers with expertise in a range of disciplines to tackle challenges in the areas of fingermark detection, fingerprint identification and interpretation. We work closely with the forensic science industry to understand, characterise and provide solutions for problems faced in operations and to futureproof fingerprint sciences.

  Our research focuses on five key areas:

  • Understanding the fundamental processes  that govern fingermark deposition, ageing and detection in a variety of different contexts, with the overall aim to use this knowledge to aid in triaging decisions and develop more robust fingermark detection sequences.
  • Develop new fingermark detection techniques that provide capabilities or sensitivity beyond the current suite of methods to detect more fingermarks than ever before.
  • Optimise and validate existing detection techniques to ensure fingerprint laboratories are using the best available detection sequences and maximising the recovery of other traces alongside fingermarks.
  • Improve research practice through the design of holistic and reproducible methods for assessing fingermark quality and evaluating the effectiveness of detection techniques.
  • Investigate fingerprint interpretation models designed to support experts in the evaluation of latent and blood fingermarks.

• Fire Investigation

  The CFS Fire Investigation research group examines the physical, chemical and behavioural evidence associated with fire origin, cause and development to support criminal, civil and coronial investigations. We work closely with fire and rescue services, police and industry partners to strengthen the scientific basis of fire scene examination and interpretation. 

  Our research focuses on three key areas:

  • Improving methods for fire scene documentation, evidence recognition and reconstruction, including the application new imaging techniques. 
  • Investigating fire behaviour, accelerant detection and the interpretation of fire indicators to support origin and cause determination.
  • Evaluating and validating investigative methodologies to strengthen the reliability and transparency of fire investigation conclusions in court.
     

• Forensic analytical chemistry

  The CFS forensic analytical chemistry research group is a diverse and experienced team of researchers, with expertise in a range of disciplines from the crime scene to the laboratory and access to state-of-the-art analytical capabilities.

  Our research focuses on four key areas:

  • Selective and sensitive testing for a variety of analytes in unknown samples.
  • Exploiting volatile organic compounds for the detection of missing persons, determining time since death, and the development of new odour detection capabilities.
  • Taking the laboratory to the crime scene through the development and validation of portable analytical technology.

  The interpretation of analytical results in a forensic context; including activity-level and source-level interpretation.

• Forensic biology

  The CFS forensic biology research group brings together researchers with diverse expertise and casework experience in forensic science practice. To ensure the applicability of our research to casework, our team collaborates with police forces and industry laboratories, both nationally and internationally.

  Our research focuses on five key areas:

  • Biological trace detection and preservation that investigates use of various nucleic acid binding dyes, body fluid tests, and exhibit packaging protocols. 
  • DNA collection that optimises currently employed recovery methods for a wide range of biological matrices and develop novel techniques.
  • DNA analysis that explores alternative technologies and applications, such as Rapid DNA, ancestry investigations, disaster victim identification, methylation analysis and whole genome sequencing.
  • Evaluation of biological traces that investigates trace transfer, persistence and prevalence and generates data to help address activity level propositions.
  • Wildlife forensic biology that applies and develops genetic tools for wildlife crime investigations and explores human DNA collection from wildlife substrates.

• Forensic intelligence

  The traditional case-to-case approach is expanded to a more phenomenological and proactive approach to better understand criminal activity. Indeed, recent studies have shown that the contribution of forensic science to the criminal justice process is limited and a paradigm shift is required whereby forensic case data are systematically integrated to provide knowledge about criminal activities. We work closely with the forensic science industry as well as health agencies to develop new data-driven research in areas such as serial and/or organised crime and understand the criminal activity.

• Forensic statistics

  The aim of forensic statistics is to assign quantitative weight to evidence through the application of statistical methods such as likelihood ratios, Bayesian networks, and statistical algorithms. Research in forensic statistics at CFS focuses on the development and explainability of these statistical methods in collaboration with other CFS research areas and industry partners.

• Taphonomy

  The Forensic Taphonomy group encompasses academic researchers, police, and forensic scientists from government and industry to investigate the processes of human decomposition.

  We focus on understanding the physical, chemical and biological processes of soft and hard tissue degradation in an outdoor environment as well as the degradation of evidence associated with human remains.  Our research is predominantly carried out at the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research (AFTER), the only human decomposition facility in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere.
  
  Forensic taphonomy encompasses a broad range of disciplines including forensic chemistry, biology, entomology, ecology, soil science, geology, geophysics, anthropology, archaeology, odontology and pathology. Our research impacts police and other law enforcement agencies by enhancing the methods we use to search for, locate, recover and identify victim remains. Our work can be applied to cases of missing persons, homicide, mass disasters and human rights atrocities. Many of our researchers act as consultants for a range of death investigations and draw on the research carried out at AFTER to provide more specific data to the local Sydney region. 

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