Forensic Science

The Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science at the University of Dundee is designed to disrupt positively the forensic science ecosystem. Our aims are broad and wide, striving to restore, revise and recharge the validity and credibility of the science in our court rooms.

Forensic science is the application of science within the forum of the court, however there has been a growing concern that the science underpinning some of the forensic evidence lacks a robust foundation.

About the programme

The work undertaken by the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science at the University of Dundee aims to highlight and address the scientific deficiencies where they exist, and to develop new knowledge and innovative solutions to the challenges forensic science and the Criminal Justice system is facing into the future.

We have brought together an interdisciplinary team of scientists and non-scientists to develop innovative ways of looking at the challenges facing forensic evidence as it is currently used within our courts.

Current research areas include:

• Transfer and persistence of evidence
• The future of DNA analysis
• Education and training in forensic science
• Enhancing the detection of illicit drugs, explosives and bodily fluids
• Capturing, communicating and collaborating with Virtual Reality in forensic science
• Generating information about the background abundance of materials