Separations Webinar | Developments in Chromatographic Separations for Forensic Analysis
the chair
3rd Separations Webinar
Developments in Chromatographic Separations for Forensic Analysis
We are thrilled to welcome you to a special event highlighting the use of separation science and chromatographic techniques in forensic applications. Chromatography has long been a tool exploited in the justice sector by providing key chemical information that can be used in legal proceedings. New developments in research highlight the continual evolution of chromatography’s fit-for-purpose in the criminal justice system.
During this event, we will hear from two experts in forensic science who will highlight their research in different applications of chromatography for novel forensic analyses.
We hope this event will celebrate the past, present, and future of separation technology in forensic science and promote new ideas for future work.
Date: 6 August , 2025
Time: 3:00 pm CEST 9:00 am EDT
Webinar ID: 892 9534 6776
Webinar Secretariat: journal.webinar@mdpi.com
Meet the Event Chair
Meet Our Speakers
Dr. Karen Scott
Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA;
Dr Karen Scott is the Director of the Forensic Toxicology and Clinical Toxicology Laboratory in the Division of Laboratory Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She also holds an Associate Professor of Laboratory Medicine post in the Department of Pathology at the same University. She has over 30 years of experience in the fields of forensic and clinical toxicology and is published in the areas of post-mortem and human performance toxicology, as well as hair and alternative matrix testing. She is a reviewer for three of the main Forensic Toxicology journals and is on the editorial board for Separations (Forensics/Toxins section).
Dr. Scott has a Bachelor of Science degree in Forensic and Analytical Chemistry from the University of Strathclyde (Glasgow, UK, 1994) and a PhD in Forensic Toxicology from the University of Glasgow (UK, 1998). On completion of her degrees, she carried out postdoctoral research in Tokyo, Japan, investigating the incorporation rates of drugs into hair. Dr. Scott has been a member of the Alcohol, Drugs, and Impairment Division of the National Safety Council since 2015 and is on the executive board of this organization. She is also on the editorial board of Clarkes Analysis of Drugs and Poisons and is a member of the OSAC Forensic Toxicology subcommittee.
Dr. Petr Vozka
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University, Los Angeles;
Dr. Petr Vozka is an Associate Professor of Analytical Chemistry at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA), where he also directs the Complex Chemical Composition Analysis Laboratory (C3AL). His research lies at the forefront of multidimensional chromatography and mass spectrometry, with a primary focus on developing advanced analytical techniques, especially GC×GC-FID and GC×GC-TOFMS, for characterizing complex mixtures, including products from plastic waste conversion, fingerprints, and organic pollutants adsorbed on microplastics. He has over 30 peer-reviewed publications, a book chapter, one patent, and over 50 conference presentations, including 10 invited talks and a keynote address at the 14th Multidimensional Chromatography Workshop (MDCW 2023), where he now serves as co-chair. He also organizes the GC×GC symposium at ACS Fall Meetings (since 2023) and hosted the 15th MDCW on the CSULA campus in 2024.
Sponsors and Partners
Organizer
The 3rd Separations Webinar, titled “Developments in Chromatographic Separations for Forensic Analysis,” took place on 6 August 2025 at 3:00 pm CEST / 9:00 am EDT. It showcased how modern separation science and chromatography techniques are enhancing forensic investigations by delivering critical chemical insights for legal contexts. The event featured Dr. Karen Scott (University of Alabana at Birmingham) who spoke about her research characterizing xylazine in postmortem casework, and Dr. Petr Vozka who demonstrated the use of gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOFMS) for the estimation of fingerprint aging. It served as a platform to celebrate the field’s past achievements while inspiring future innovations in forensic separation technologies.
The webinar was hosted via Zoom and required registration to attend. The full recording can be found below. In order to learn about future webinars, you can sign up to our newsletter by clicking “Subscribe” at the top of the page.
Advances in Chromatographic Separation Techniques for the Analysis of Drugs of Abuse
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Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2026
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Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 September 2025