Credentials (CV available upon request)

CURRENT CLINICAL QUALIFICATIONS AND POSITIONS

Physician, trained in Forensic Toxicology, General Psychiatry, Clinical Pathology
Private Forensic Practice (Alcohol Disorders, Substance Abuse, Criminal and Civil)
Forensic Consultant (DUI, Alcohol, Drugs, Narcotics Detector Dogs, Criminal and Civil)

1997 – present
Courtesy Professor, Department of Chemistry
Florida International University, University Park
Miami, Florida 33199-0001

EDUCATION (Degrees Earned)

Doctor of Medicine, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL., 1985
Bachelor of Arts (Major: Biological Sciences), Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL., 1981

POST-DOCTORAL RESIDENCY TRAINING

1985 – 1987
Clinical Pathology Resident, Department of Pathology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama. First year of training consisted of didactic lectures in concert with rotations through clinical chemistry, microbiology, blood bank, hematology and toxicology laboratories. Training the second year consisted of routine service work for all laboratories, three months of blood banking with an emphasis on therapeutic plasmapheresis. Program also included didactic instruction in nosocomial infections concentrating on surveillance, etiology, laboratory diagnosis and prevention.

1989 – 1991
Associate Medical Examiner – Forensic Toxicology Laboratory, Dade County Medical Examiner Department, Miami, Florida. Two-year training program in the only HRS-licensed Forensic Toxicology Training Laboratory in the State of Florida. Included specimen collection in the morgue, chain of custody procedures, specimen storage, rotations through screening and confirmation sections. Performed qualitative and quantitative analysis utilizing colorimetric, immunoassay (EMIT, TDX), thin layer chromatography (TOXI-LAB), GLC, HPLC, GC/MS techniques on therapeutic drugs and drugs of abuse. Research conducted included analysis of urine, blood, blood clots, brain, liver, and placenta for cocaine, cocaine metabolites, cocaethylene, and ethanol. Review and analysis of drug-related death cases were also done.

1995 – 1998
Resident Physician, Department of Psychiatry, University of Miami School of Medicine and Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, Florida. Four years of training with the first year in Psychiatry including rotations in Internal Medicine, Neurology, and Family Medicine as well as in-patient care of hospitalized patients on the Adult Psychiatry service. Second and third year included In-patient, Out-patient, Consultation Liaison and Child Psychiatry. Fourth year included Out-patient, Special Immunology, Partial Hospitalization and Consult Liaison.

ADDITIONAL POST-DOCTORAL TRAINING

1990 – 1991
Clinical Research Fellow – Department of Neurology (Experimental Toxicology – Neurotoxicology), University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami Florida. Performed method development and sample analysis of post-mortem human brain specimens and emergency department admission blood and urines for cocaine, benzoylecgonine, and cocaethylene utilizing GC and GC/MS instrumental analysis. Conducted in-vitro experiments incubating human liver homogenates and cellular subfractions to investigate the metabolic formation of cocaethylene from cocaine and ethanol. Performed comparative cocaine, cocaethylene LD50 study to investigate toxic effects of cocaethylene.

1988 – 1989
Graduate School, Exercise Physiology, University of Miami, Miami, Florida. One-year of didactic instruction, plus lab experience. Performed literature review on cocaine and human physiology.

BOARD CERTIFICATION & LICENSES

  • Diplomate, National Board of Medical Examiners, July 1, 1989 – #311676
  • Diplomate, American Board of Forensic Examiners, June 1998
  • Florida Medical License – #58314 (1990 to current)
  • State of Florida Clinical Chemistry Technologist –12/08/1989 to 06/30/1998 – #TN29074 (formerly #JC0020704)
  • Certified Health Care Risk Manager – 07/21/1989 to 01/31/2002 – #5500523 (Florida)

OTHER PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

  • Certificate of Completion, F. A. A. Medical Review Officer Training Seminar, 1991
  • National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) Drug Recognition Expert Certification (Auditor Status), 1992
  • Symposium on Alcohol and Drug Enforcement, Institute of Police Technology and Management, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, July 20-22, 1992
  • Toxi-Lab 3 Day Basic Workshop, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, September 15-17, 1993

MOST RECENT PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

1992 – 1994
Assistant Professor
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami School of Medicine
Director, Forensic Toxicology Laboratory

Responsible for obtaining service contract with Metro Dade County to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze blood and urine specimens for ethanol, illicit and therapeutic drugs from impaired drivers.

Responsible for designing and overseeing construction of comprehensive toxicology laboratory including security, sample storage, laboratory and administrative work areas.

Responsible for supervising all analytical work, performing blood alcohol, blood drug and urine drug analyses and providing expert testimony for the State Attorney’s Office regarding issues of forensic integrity, analytic accuracy, and driver impairment.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Course Coordinator/Instructor – Chemical Dependency Training Institute, University of Miami School of Continuing Studies, Miami Florida, 1991.
Instructor, Florida International University, CHS-5539, Forensic Toxicology 2007-2008

OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Medical Review Officer – Federal Transportation Worker’s Pre-Employment and License Renewal Urine Drug Testing, 1991.

Expert Witness – Forensic Toxicology (Retained as expert witness on Civil and Criminal Cases including DUI and Workers Compensation Exposure Claims, 1991 – present.

MADD Advisory Board, Dade County Chapter, 1992 – 1995

Laboratory Technician, Department of Pharmacology, University of Miami School of Medicine, 1976 -1978. Performed clinical assessment of over the counter decongestant medications in human clinical trial and performed spectrophotometric analysis of ionophore kinetics and micellar membranes.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS & ORGANIZATIONS

American College of Forensic Examiners
American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS)
Society of Forensic Toxicology (SOFT)

HIGH PROFILE FORENSIC CASES

State of Florida vs. William Kennedy Smith
Commonwealth of Virginia vs. Marv Albert
State of Florida vs. Bobby Brown
State of Florida vs. David Farrall
State of Florida vs. Jose Canseco
State of Florida vs. Dan Catalfumo
State of Florida v. James Leyritz
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. $22,474.00 IN U.S. CURRENCY (This case is important as it is the first Ninth Circuit decision to acknowledge the reliability of an alert by a properly trained narcotics detection dog in an asset forfeiture case)

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