Anthony Schembri is a respected law enforcement and academic professional with over four decades’ experience in the field. Over the years, he has drawn praise from such varied sources as New York City Mayor, President Jimmy Carter, Florida Governor Jeb Bush, and New York Governor Mario Cuomo. First appointed to the Brooklyn District Attorneys Office he advanced to Deputy Chief of the Narcotics Bureau, then to Director of Training at the District Attorneys Police Academy. Anthony Schembri has served as the city’s Deputy Inspector General, investigating cases of major crime and corruption. He was appointed by the Mayor of New York as Corrections Commissioner, a position putting him in charge of 12,000 uniformed officers and 20,000 inmates at 19 separate jail facilities. Today, the Citrus County, Florida, resident serves as a Visiting Professor at Oxford and Sheffield Hallam University and named Outstanding Professor of the Year at the University of Florida.

Crime Scene Investigation and Management

Criminal Investigative Analyst Criminal Intelligence Analyst Geographic Profiler GPA I Certified Anti-Terrorism Specialist.

Dr. Swindell is a professor of Social Work at Mississippi State University and recently made history as the first teaching Ph.D. and MSW in Social Work to be awarded tenure and achieve the rank of professor. Swindell also independently contracts as a mitigation expert and expert witness, working with men serving capital murder sentences on death row in the US. She has over 30 years of experience in forensic social work and brings a wealth of information from sociology, social work, and forensic testimony evidence retrieval to this conference. Dr. Swindell completed her Ph.D. (2001) and MSW (1992) in Social Work from the University of Alabama.

Professor and Dean of Applied Sciences European Forensic Institute. Between 1969 and 2008, he had a full career as a practitioner with the Directorate of Forensic Services New Scotland Yard, in the roles of Fingerprint expert, Crime scene Investigator, Crime Scene manager and Crime Scene Coordinator. In project management he created modern sequential treatment laboratories designed to deal with the volume crime in London and pioneered the concept of Forensic Intelligence. He set up one of the world’s first Forensic Intelligence Units in 2001 and was the Head of Forensic Intelligence Metropolitan Police until 2008. He has the Kings College London University Diploma in Crime Scene Investigation and Fingerprint Expertise. He developed the wireless, three electrode, method of electrostatic dust mark lifting, the Pathfinder’ now used worldwide. In 2012 he published the textbook ‘Forensic Intelligence’ CRC Press. In 2018 he joined the European Forensic Institute as a lecturer and was invited to lecture on Forensic Intelligence at the Istituto Di Scienze Forense, Corporate University, Milan. In 2021 he was awarded a Professorship in Criminology, Forensic Criminology and Forensic Intelligence and awarded the role of President of the Istituto Di Scienze Forense University Milan. In February 2024 the university renewed his professorship. He has been a member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences (CSFS) since 1983, and in October 2024 was elected as the Honorary Editor of the CSFS.

Senior Lecturer in Forensic Biology and Genetics and in Forensic Medicine, with consolidated academic experience in undergraduate and postgraduate university programs in Italy and internationally, including Spain, Colombia, Bolivia, Malta, and Costa Rica. Academic activities are primarily focused on university teaching, international scientific collaboration, and participation in multidisciplinary research and applied forensic science projects.Extensive international collaborations have been established across Europe and Latin America,including Italy, Spain, and Chile, involving universities, forensic laboratories, research institutions,and industry partners. These activities have been developed within both academic and applied frameworks and include collaborative research initiatives and projects aimed at technology transfer and methodological innovation in forensic science. This work has contributed to strengthening interactions between academic research, forensic practice, and industrial stakeholders, with particular emphasis on the development and implementation of innovative analytical approaches.Previous professional roles include Director of the Forensic Genetics Department at SIMEF (Italy) and forensic DNA expert consultant for Italian civil and criminal courts, with contributions to forensic casework in collaboration with national and international law enforcement agencies, including Italian Police Forces and UK Police. Additionally, activities include service as expert evaluator for the European Research Executive Agency (REA) of the European Commission.Author of more than 200 scientific contributions, including 84 publications indexed in Scopus, with regular involvement in peer-review activities for international scientific journals and publishers,including Springer, Elsevier, and Taylor & Francis. Scientific evaluation activities also include the assessment of book proposals, research projects, and contributions to editorial activities as Editor-in-Chief, Editorial Board Member, and reviewer for international journals in forensic science.Active participation in the organization and scientific development of international conferences,courses, and webinars in forensic science, including roles as scientific committee member, session chairperson, and invited speaker. Participation has also included doctoral examination committees and international scientific award panels.Recipient of several international awards and recognitions in the field of forensic biology and genetic.

Semen Detection Under Challenging Crime Scene Conditions: Evaluation of STK Spray

Zaida Melissa Guajardo, Criminal Profiler, Handwriting Analyst, Grapologist. Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice Forensic Investigations National University Master's Degree in Criminal Profiler Escuela Internacional de Criminologia y Criminalistica.Professional Technology in Graphology and Graphotherapy.

Dr. Michael Gurley: Confirmed as Lecturer of Criminal Justice at University of Tennessee at Martin (UTM) since 2023. Previously at University of Memphis (2016-2023). Holds Ph.D. from Northcentral University, M.S. from Saint Leo University, B.A. from Ashford University. Has 32 years of law enforcement experience and a graduate of the University of Tennessee National Forensics Academy

Neurobiological, Psychological, and Developmental Mechanisms: How the Human Brain Creates Criminal Narratives

Laura has been a casework Forensic Scientist in three state laboratories across three jurisdictions in Australia. Laura is currently employed as a Senior Forensic Research Scientist at Forensic Science Queensland (FSQ), specialising in evidence examination, analysis and the application of emerging forensic methodologies. She possesses a robust background in biological evidence examination, sampling and testing, examination of crime scenes and human remains recovery. Laura is currently enrolled in an industry PhD focused on identification, characterisation and isolation of spermatozoa. Currently contributing to FSQ's operational workflow improvements Laura leads projects emphasising rigorous analysis alongside innovation in forensic practices.

Sarah Lambert has a master’s degree in forensic science from Nebraska Wesleyan University. She worked as a Crime Scene Investigator for 12 years in the United States. Sarah recently published Crime Scene Investigator (CSI) Field Guide, a reference guide for use in the field by crime scene investigators which includes a variety of documented methods for processing crime scenes and collecting evidence.

Dr. James graduated from a one-year course, McGill University, Dental Forensics Program; part on-campus training with the Surete du Quebec Forensics Team. Dr James is focusing on Child Abuse, Elderly Abuse, Human Trafficking, and Intimate Partner Violence. He also gives educational PowerPoint presentations on these topics. Also, trained at University of Tennessee, Body Farm, and Clandestine Grave Recovery. Dr Frizzell’s motto is: “The Power of Observation”, in the forensic’s world.

Julie Mattson, RN, BSN, is a registered nurse, forensic nurse death investigator, and former Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner with extensive experience in medicolegal death investigation. She works at the intersection of clinical medicine, forensic science, and public service, bringing medical accuracy to complex death determinations. Julie is also the host of the true crime podcast Pushing Up Lilies, where she educates the public through real investigative insight. Her YouTube channel is Brains, Body Bags, and Bedside Manner, which is also the title of her upcoming book. Her work focuses on improving investigative quality, ethical practice, and collaboration across forensic disciplines. She is a member of the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators, the National Association of Medical Examiners and Coroners, the Internation Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners, the Internation Homicide Investigators Association, International Association of Forensic Nurses, and is secretary of the Forensic Nursing Board of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Vithyaa Thavapalan is an internationally certified fire and explosion investigator and the Founder andManaging Director of Forensic Origin & Cause Investigations Pty Ltd. She has over 12 years’ experience in fire investigation and has completed investigations across Australia and internationally, including matters involving residential, commercial, industrial, vehicle, plant and equipment, and complex loss environments.Vithyaa holds a Master of Forensic Science, a Graduate Diploma in Fire Investigation, and a Bachelor of Science. She provides origin and cause investigations, technical reviews, expert reports, and training for insurers, legal practitioners, loss adjusters, government, and private clients.Her work focuses on applying a systematic, evidence-based methodology to determine fire origin and cause, while clearly communicating findings, limitations, and expert opinion in a manner that supports defensible causation analysis and expert reporting.

When the Evidence Challenges the Investigator: Cognitive Bias and the Scientific Method in Fire Investigation