New Zealand Branch

I am a dual forensic-biometric identification specialist (MSc Forensic Speech Science, U of York; MA Forensic Linguistics, U of Cardiff, PhD Speech Science, Rice U). My post-doctoral research at NZILBB at the University of Canterbury focussed on mapping social-behavioural traits on the acoustic speech signal, such as drug use and speaker height. Since 2009 I’ve served as an independent forensic expert in speaker comparison in anonymous recordings, authorship analysis of anonymous documents, resolution of disputed utterances and semantic disputes, training advanced police negotiation teams and evaluating comprehension by non-native participants in the legal process. I am currently a Principal Data Scientist at Immigration NZ.

I started work in the NZ Police in 1990 and trained over 5 years to qualify as a NZ police fingerprint expert. In 2002 I become the NZ Police National Fingerprint Training Officer (based at The Royal NZ Police College) I role I enjoy and still hold. I joined ANZFSS around 1995 and have been continuously member since then. I am a member of the NZ Wellington branch and the current Chairperson.

I enjoy networking with people interested in sharing insights in forensic science and finding ways novel ways to communicate this to the public and judiciary. As an educator in current Covid times I am passionate about how learning has changed and the methods we can use to connect people effectively. I am keen to develop this further for the near future of NZFSS.

I am a Senior Forensic Scientist working at ESR (Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd). Mt role at ESR involves the analysis of items submitted by NZ Police and NZ Customs for the presence of controlled substance. I have held this role for almost 30 years.

I provide training and mentoring of new staff in the Drug Chemistry team and lecture at the University of Auckland on Forensic Science and supervise students undertaking research for the Masters in Forensic Science programme. I co-ordinate and deliver Expert Witness training course to ESR, NZ Police and members of the public, whose role it is to act as an expert witness in the New Zealand legal system

I am the current NZFSS Auckland Branch chairperson, a role I have had since 2015. I have been a member of ANZFSS since joining in the late eighties. Over this time, I have presented at and attended conferences. I have been involved in the organizing and delivering of the two ANZFSS conferences and associated workshops held in Auckland. I was awarded the ANZFSS Alan Hodda Memorial Award in 2011.

Kia ora, I have been involved in NZFSS since 2003, while still completing my Master’s degree at Auckland University. This relationship continued while working for the New Zealand Police, attending meetings at the Auckland branch. I found myself volunteering to step into the newly created President Elect role before moving into the NZFSS Presidents role in 2020.

I have always had an interest in teaching and in mid-2019 I moved from Forensic Supervisor, Auckland City District, to Crime Scene Trainer at the Royal New Zealand Police College in Wellington. In this role I work with SOCO’s across the country to update the forensic training programme, taking advantage of new technology to create a blended training programme which is accessible, achievable, relevant and to a high standard.

I am a Lecturer in Forensic Anthropology and convenor of the Forensic Summer School
paper (FORB201) at the University of Otago. I hold a PhD in Biological Anthropology (Uni of
Otago), MSc (hons) in Human Osteology and Palaeopathology (Bradford Uni, UK) , and BSc
(hons) in Forensic Science (UCLAN, UK). I am a member of the Chartered Society of Forensic
Sciences, and have been involved with NZFSS since 2014, currently serving as the National
Secretary and Ōtepoti Dunedin Branch Chair.

I have over 15 years of experience in the exhumation, examination and analysis of human
skeletal remains in forensic, historical, and archaeological settings in numerous countries
throughout the world. Since 2015, I’ve served as an independent forensic expert in
Aotearoa New Zealand. As an advocate for indigenous rights and in partnership with Māori
researchers, I am currently the Principal Investigator (PI) of a decolonising research project
exploring indigenous data sovereignty and ethics within forensic science.

I am a Senior Science Leader and the DNA Technical Leader of the Forensic Biology Group of Environmental Science and Research Inc (ESR) in Auckland, New Zealand and has been a forensic scientist since 1988, specializing in body fluid identification and DNA analysis. I have supervised over 60 student researchers, including over 50 MSc students and 9 PhD students and is currently an Honorary Lecturer in the Forensic Science program and an Honorary Academic, in the Department of Statistics at the University of Auckland.

I lead an active research team which has led to the introduction of new techniques in casework such as Y STR profiling and mRNA testing. Current research includes new sequencing technologies such as epigenetics, mitochondrial DNA, phenotype and ancestry determination. More recently I have been part of a team sequencing SARS COV 2 as part of ESR’s pandemic response. I was awarded a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2021.

I am a Senior Statistician at Oritain Global Limited, New Zealand and Honorary Academic at the University of Technology Sydney, Australia. I am interested in statistical inference and interpretation of forensic evidence, as well as other Statistics and Data Science related problems in this field. I have been a member of ANZFSS since 2016 and been on the NZFSS council since 2020.