Michelle Taylor

Editor-in-Chief
Forensic
Michelle Taylor has worked on the Forensic brand since 2016. Well established in the industry, Michelle has attended dozens of scientific conferences and conducted interviews with key opinion leaders, including multiple Nobel Prize winners and award-winning forensic scientists. Michelle enjoys writing about investigative forensic genetic genealogy, novel psychoactive substances, next-generation sequencing, sexual assault kits and more. Michelle received her BA in journalism from Elon University in North Carolina. Michelle can be reached at [email protected] Michelle can be reached at [email protected]

  • Oregon Bill Simplifies Access to Post-Conviction DNA Testing

    January 13, 2020
    Oregon, which was once among the hardest states for inmates to secure post-conviction DNA testing, has passed a new statute easing the limitations, effective the first day of 2020. read more

  • Facebook Announces Steps to Take on Deepfakes

    January 09, 2020
    In advance of the 2020 Election and responding to criticism from not only the 2016 Election but daily social media use as well, Facebook has taken its first steps toward combating manipulated media, commonly called “deepfakes.” read more

  • Roadside Sweat Test Can Detect Marijuana Use

    January 08, 2020
    Fresh on the heels of a proof-of-concept study that showed sweat can test an individual’s ethanol level, the Halámek Lab at University of Albany has done it again—this time with marijuana use. read more

  • Washington AG Proposes Establishment of Statewide Cold Case Unit

    January 06, 2020
    Washington State’s Attorney General has submitted a $1.7 million budget request to establish a statewide Cold Case Unit, as well as revamp the state’s resource-depleted Homicide Information Tracking System. read more

  • Personnel, Training, Opioid Crisis Top List of Challenges in the Forensic Lab

    December 30, 2019
    The National Institute of Justice recently released a report to Congress that details the needs, challenges and promising practices for today’s forensic laboratories. read more

  • Happy New Year!

    December 30, 2019
    The team behind Forensic wishes you a happy and healthy New Year! read more

  • Illinois: Consent No Longer Needed for Child Forensic Interviews

    December 27, 2019
    Starting the New Year, child advocacy centers in Illinois will no longer need to obtain consent from parents to record forensic interviews of potential child victims, according to a new state law. read more

  • Sweat-testing Strip Could Be Breathalyzer’s Replacement

    December 23, 2019
    For most people, sweat is an unwelcome part of their day. In Jan Halamek’s laboratory, it’s an important biometric research tool and sample. Researchers have developed strips that can test the ethanol levels in a person’s sweat to detect their blood alcohol content. read more

  • Verogen CEO: ‘GEDmatch Will Be Improved, Not Changed’

    December 20, 2019
    When Verogen announced its acquisition of GEDmatch last week, some were apprehensive. But Verogen CEO Brett Williams told Forensic there will be no massive changes to the database and the privacy concerns of its users will be upheld. read more

  • Rape Kit Backlog Act Passes Senate 3 Months after Lapsing

    December 18, 2019
    The Senate has passed the Debbie Smith Reauthorization Act of 2019 by unanimous consent, authorizing the Justice Department to spend up to $151 million in grants to states and localities to address the rape kit backlog. read more

  • Real-time Crime Centers Can Reduce Crime by 40 Percent

    December 16, 2019
    Almost two years after launch, and one year after an expansion, a recent study by RAND Corporation quantifies Strategic Decision Support Centers’ positive impact: a 5 to 15 percent average reduction in crime, with some districts reaching up to a 40 percent reduction in certain illicit actions. read more

  • Imaging of Veterans’ Brains Suggests Sub-types of Gulf War Illness

    December 12, 2019
    Researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging to show that, based on physiological changes in the brain, GWI patients can actually be characterized into two distinct groups. read more

  • Coalition to Build Nation’s First Nonprofit Forensic Lab

    December 10, 2019
    Come April 2020, there will be another choice of forensic laboratory—one that is unique in its goals, mission and business model. The Utah Cold Case Coalition announced last month it is building the first nonprofit forensic lab in the nation. read more

  • Kentucky is the Worst State for Forensic Lab Technicians

    December 05, 2019
    Last year, the mean annual salary for a forensic science technician was $62,490, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the state of Kentucky, however, it is much, much lower. The starting salary for lab technicians in the Kentucky State Police (KSP) Forensic Laboratory is $32,000, leaving the department with a 35 percent turnover rate over a 5-year period. read more

  • Mobile App Will Help Identify Victims of Sex Trafficking

    December 03, 2019
    Misuse, dependency, death—just a few consequences of the opioid epidemic the United States has been facing the past few years. Now, a researcher at West Virginia University is calling attention to one of the lesser known elements of the epidemic—child sex trafficking. read more

  • Firearm Death Rates Increase Across States and Groups

    December 02, 2019
    From 2015 to 2017, the United States saw a rise in the rate of firearm deaths, according to a study led by University of Michigan researchers. In all, the U.S. saw a 14 percent rise in the rate of firearm deaths from 2015 through 2017, compared with the rate seen in the years 1999 through 2014. read more

  • National Strategy Aligns Indian Country and FBI on Missing, Murder Cases

    November 26, 2019
    Last week, Attorney General William Barr announced the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Initiative, a national strategy to help address the disproportionally high levels of violence that American Indian and Alaska Native people suffer. The Department of Justice is investing an initial $1.5 million to hire 11 MMIP coordinators to serve with U.S. Attorney’s offices in 11 states, as well as others that request assistance. read more

  • Bill Would Abolish NYC DNA Database

    November 25, 2019
    A handful of Democratic New York State Senators have introduced a bill to end New York City’s DNA database, calling it “rogue” and “unlawful”. Sponsored by Brad Hoylman (D, WF), the bill seeks to end the city’s DNA database, as well as prohibit any other municipality from maintaining such a database. The major sticking point between the state senators and the NYPD is the collection of DNA from arrestees and suspects not yet convinced or never convicted of a crime. read more

  • Cannabis and the Science of ‘Breathalomics’

    November 22, 2019
    It’s pretty easy to single out a driver that is driving under the influence of alcohol. Swerving between lanes, running red lights and inconsistent speed are signs easily identifiable to passersby and police alike. Additionally, police can conduct a test using a breathalyzer to estimate the amount of blood alcohol content in said driver—providing unequivocal confirmation of the presence of alcohol. But how do you spot a driver that is driving “high,” or under the influence of marijuana? read more

  • Gunshot Survivors Report Long-term Physical, Mental Consequences

    November 21, 2019
    First responders, doctors, and hospital staff do everything they can to save the lives of gunshot wound (GSW) victims. At times, they succeed, resulting in about 70,000 survivors of firearm injuries annually in the United States. But once survivors walk out the hospital doors and away from attentive eyes, it’s a different story. A new study from researchers at Penn Medicine reveals survivors of GSWs have negative physical, mental and emotional outcomes for years after injury. read more
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