Day 2: In the Laboratory | Complexities in Testing and Interpretation - 2026 ACMT Seminar in Forensic Toxicology
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Register
- Non-member - Tier I - $375
- Non-member - Tier II - $250
- Non-member - Tier III - $225
- Non-member - Tier IV - $200
- Member - Tier I - $300
- Member - Tier II - $175
- Member - Tier III - $150
- Member - Tier IV - $125
In partnership with:
Overview
Created in partnership with The Center for Forensic Science Research & Education (CFSRE), Day 2 of the 2026 ACMT Seminar in Forensic Toxicology shifts the focus to the laboratory, addressing the latest challenges in toxicology testing, interpretation, and application in forensic contexts.
Highlights include:
- Timely Principles of Analytical and Forensic Toxicology – Review the foundations of toxicology testing, its limitations, and critical preanalytical factors.
- Illicit Opioids & Stimulants – Understand current drug trends, specialized testing protocols, and the role of toxicology in determining cause of death.
- Quantitative Blood Concentrations in Polydrug Overdoses – Explore interpretation challenges in today’s complex clinical and forensic cases.
- Supratherapeutic Dosing of Therapeutic Drugs – Examine forensic cases involving substances such as benzonatate, tianeptine, and loperamide.
- Western Use of Kratom & Associated Challenges – Gain insights into detection, analysis, and interpretation pitfalls.
- Interpretative Value of Alpha-2 Agonists – Learn about the forensic significance of xylazine, medetomidine, and related substances.
- Alternative Matrices – Discover the potential and pitfalls of testing non-traditional samples, from breast milk to beyond.
- Case Panels on Unexpected Tests – Apply your knowledge to unique and challenging real-world scenarios.
With faculty expertise, case-driven discussions, and updates on emerging substances, this session will enhance your ability to interpret complex toxicology results and provide clear, defensible conclusions in forensic contexts.
Continuing Education
Live and Enduring continuing education credits for Physicians and Pharmacists is provided by AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare. It is expected that learners will receive up to 6.50 credits for learning and change.
Target Audience
This seminar is designed for forensic toxicologists, clinical toxicologists, physicians, pharmacists, laboratorians, medical examiners, coroners, attorneys, and trainees who want to enhance their skills in toxicology testimony and evidence interpretation.
Learner Objectives
By the end of Day 2, participants will be able to:
- Identify strengths and limitations of toxicology testing and interpretation methods.
- Discuss challenges in interpreting results for complex and emerging substances.
Agenda | January 21, 2026
9:45 - 10:00 AM ET | Opening Remarks
10:00 - 10:30 AM ET
Timely Principles of Analytical and Forensic Toxicology
Luke Rodda, PhD, Chief Forensic Toxicologist and Director, Forensic Laboratory Division, Asst. Adj. Professor, Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
10:30 - 11:00 AM ET
Timely Principles of Medicolegal Death Investigations
11:00 - 11:45 AM ET
Current state of Illicit Opioids & Stimulants
Alex Krotulski, PhD, Associate Director of Toxicology & Chemistry, The Center for Forensic Science Research and Education, Willow Grove, PA
11:45 - 12:15 PM ET | Break - 30 min
12:15 - 1:00 PM ET
Case Panel on Opioids and Stimulants
1:00 - 1:45 PM ET
Using Quantitative Blood Concentrations to Determine cause of non-fatal overdoses in polydrug world
Paul Wax, MD, FACMT, Executive Director, American College of Medical Toxicology, Phoenix, AZ
1:45 - 2:15 PM ET
Supratherapeutic Dosing of Therapeutic Drugs and Adverse Effects
Karen S. Scott, PhD, F-ABFT, Director, Forensic Toxicology Laboratory; Medical Director, Hospital Toxicology Laboratory; Associate Professor, Laboratory Medicine
2:15 - 2:45 PM ET
Western Use of Kratom Products and Associated Challenges
Donna Papsun, MS, D-ABFT-FT, Forensic Toxicologist & Business Scientist, NMS Labs, Horsham, PA
2:45 - 3:15 PM ET | Break - 30 min
3:15 - 3:45 PM ET
Interpretative Value of Alpha-2 Agonists in Forensic Toxicology: Xylazine and Medetomidine
Kari Midthun, PhD, F-ABFT, Forensic Toxicologist, NMS Labs
3:45 - 4:30 PM ET
Alternative Matrices: Applications and Pitfalls
Gwendolyn A. McMillin, PhD, DABCC-CC, DABCC-TC, FADLM, Vice President of Clinical Scientific Engagement, NMS Labs, Horsham, PA
Jessica Kent, MD, Medical Toxicologist, Ontario Poison Centre, Investigating Coroner - Office of the Chief Coroner (Central West Region) Adjunct Assistant Professor - Clinician-Investigator, University of Toronto
4:30 - 5:30 PM ET
Case Panels on Unexpected Tests
Panel
Gwendolyn A. McMillin, PhD, DABCC-CC, DABCC-TC, FADLM, Vice President of Clinical Scientific Engagement, NMS Labs, Horsham, PA
Luke Rodda, PhD, Chief Forensic Toxicologist and Director, Forensic Laboratory Division, Asst. Adj. Professor, Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
Moderator
Donna Papsun, MS, D-ABFT-FT, Forensic Toxicologist & Business Scientist, NMS Labs, Horsham, PA
Registration Rates
Registration includes:
- Access to the live virtual event on January 21, 2026
- Access to the on-demand recording for 90 days after event
- Access to the Speaker slides
- 6.50 Continuing Education Certificate. Available credits: Continuing Medical Education (CME) & Continuing Pharmacy Education (CPE).
Member Rates
Member Tier I: Full, Affiliate, International, Emeritus |
$300 |
Member Tier II: Fellows |
$175 |
Member Tier III: Residents, International - Developing Country |
$150 |
Member IV: Medical Students |
$125 |
Non-Member Rates
Non-member Tier I: Physicians, Pharmacists, Lawyers, "Other" |
$375 |
Non-member Tier II: Fellows, SPIs, Nurses, etc. |
$250 |
Non-member Tier III: Educators & Emergency Responders |
$225 |
Non-member IV: Residents & Students | $200 |
Interested in becoming an ACMT Member? Contact our Membership Team at membership@acmt.net. Learn more at: www.acmt.net/membership
Package Rates
Sign up for the both days of the 2026 ACMT Seminar in Forensic Toxicology and save $50!
Refunds and Cancellations
- Cancellations made 16 days or more in advance of the event date will receive a full refund less a 8% processing fee.
- Cancellations made within 15 days of the event date will not receive a refund.
All cancellation requests must be made in writing and emailed to: events@acmt.net. No telephone cancellations will be accepted. A refund that results from a cancellation or change to your registration will be returned to the original payer and in the original method of payment.
Pending review, limited exceptions will be made based on need and circumstance (family emergency, for example) and must be submitted in writing to events@acmt.net. For these instances, the full registration fee, minus a 6% processing fee, will be refunded. Because each exception must undergo a review and approval process, we ask in advance for your patience.
Questions?
For any questions, please email us at events@acmt.net.
h3>Instructions
Once you have completed your registration:
- Click on the Contents tab on the day of live event. This is where you will be able view the Zoom link for the course as well as all required components.
- Watch live event. You can use the Zoom link in the Learning Center to leave and enter the webinar during event.
- Complete the Event CE Survey. If you are completing CE, this survey is required.
- Claim your CE certificate. Once you have claimed your CE credit, you will not be able to change your CE certificate.
Full credit can only be claimed after completion of all required components.
Hardware/Software Requirements
Computer or Other Internet-Enabled Device; Internet Connection; Browser.
Materials
None.
Prerequisites
None.
Format
This event is a live Webinar.
Need Assistance or Have Questions?
For assistance logging in, accessing content, purchasing or completing Continuing Education credits, or for other questions, please contact us at events@acmt.net or visit our FAQ page.
If you are in need of accessible learning accommodations, please contact events@acmt.net for additional assistance.
Continuing Education
2026 ACMT Seminar in Forensic Toxicology | Day 2: In the Laboratory | Complexities in Testing and Interpretation
Please claim your continuing education credits within 30 days of the live event: January 21, 2026
CE credit provided by AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare.
Criteria for Success
To obtain a certificate of completion, a score of 70% or better on the post-test is required. Please proceed with the activity until you have successfully completed this program, answered all test questions, completed the post-test and evaluation, and have received a digital copy of your certificate. You must participate in the entire activity to receive credit. There is no fee to participate in this activity. If you have questions about this activity, please contact AKH Inc. at events@acmt.net. If you have questions about this CE activity, please contact AKH Inc at bethany@akhcme.com
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare and American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT). AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive 6.50 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credit for learning and change.
Physicians: AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare designates this live activity for a maximum of 6.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Pharmacists: AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare designates this continuing education activity for 6.50 contact hours.
James Caruso, MD
Retired Chief Medical Examiner and Forensic Pathologist
Retired Medical Officer, US Navy
James Caruso, MD is the recently retired Chief Medical Examiner and Forensic Pathologist for the City and County of Denver. He is also a retired Medical Officer of the United States Navy, where he served nearly 30 years in roles spanning shipboard medicine, diving and submarine medicine, aviation medicine, pathology, and forensic pathology. During his Navy career, he was a Diving Medical Officer with the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, completed a residency in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology and a fellowship in Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine at Duke University Medical Center, and trained in forensic pathology at the Office of the Maryland Chief Medical Examiner.
Dr. Caruso has personally performed more than 3,000 autopsies and supervised countless others, working in environments ranging from military hospitals to combat zones. His notable cases include the investigation of the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster and the autopsy of Pat Tillman. Widely published in forensic pathology and diving medicine, Dr. Caruso has contributed numerous scientific papers and book chapters throughout his career. He now resides in Castle Rock, Colorado, where he continues to share his expertise in forensic pathology and medicine while enjoying time with his family.
Jessica Kent, MD
Medical Toxicologist; Emergency Medicine Physician; Investigating Coroner
Ontario Poison Centre; Office of the Chief Coroner (Central West Region); University of Toronto
Dr. Jessica Kent-Rice is an Emergency Physician and Medical Toxicologist at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, an Investigating Coroner for Ontario’s Central West Region, and an Adjunct Assistant Professor – Clinician Investigator in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. She completed her Emergency Medicine residency and Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology fellowship at the University of Toronto and is currently a Fellow-in-Training with the Toxicology Investigators Consortium (ToxIC).
Dr. Kent-Rice’s work lies at the intersection of acute care, toxicology, and forensic medicine. Her academic and clinical interests include preventable drug-related deaths, the forensic applications of clinical pharmacology, and the use of toxicovigilance to inform public health and policy.
Alex Krotulski, PhD
Associate Director of Toxicology & Chemistry
The Center for Forensic Science Research and Education
Dr. Alex J. Krotulski serves as a Director at the Center for Forensic Science Research and Education (CFSRE) working in the areas of forensic toxicology and forensic chemistry and is the Program Manager for NPS Discovery, the CFSRE’s drug early warning system and flagship program for the identification and characterization of new and emerging synthetic drugs. Dr. Krotulski is a chemist by training and practices as a forensic toxicologist. Dr. Krotulski holds faculty appointment and serves as the Program Director for the Thomas Jefferson University Master of Science in Forensic Toxicology (MSFT) program and is an Senior Associate Editor for the Journal of Analytical Toxicology.
Gwendolyn A. McMillin, PhD, DABCC-CC, DABCC-TC, FADLM
Vice President of Clinical Scientific Engagement
NMS Labs
Dr. Gwendolyn A. McMillin is the Vice President of Clinical Scientific Engagement at NMS Labs in Horsham, Pennsylvania. She is board-certified by the American Board of Clinical Chemistry in both Clinical Chemistry and Toxicological Chemistry. Before joining NMS Labs, Dr. McMillin spent over two decades at ARUP Laboratories and the University of Utah School of Medicine, where she served as Medical Director of Clinical Toxicology and Pharmacogenomics, Scientific Director of Mass Spectrometry, and Professor (Clinical) of Pathology.
Dr. McMillin’s research focuses on pharmacogenomics, newborn drug exposure, and analytical method development. She has received multiple awards for her contributions to laboratory medicine, including the Ellis Benson Young Investigator Award from the Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists and the Past Chair Award from the TDM and Toxicology Division of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (now ADLM).
Kari Midthun, PhD, F-ABFT
Forensic Toxicologist
NMS Labs
Kari Midthun, PhD is a Forensic Toxicologist at NMS Labs with experience spanning academia, government, and industry at the intersection of biology and chemistry. She previously served as Assistant Laboratory Director at United States Drug Testing Laboratories and as a Forensic Scientist with the New York State Police. Dr. Midthun earned her PhD and MS in Chemistry and Chemical Biology from Cornell University, where she was a National Science Foundation IGERT Fellow. Her professional background includes forensic science, chemistry, nanotechnology, chemical safety, and education, and she brings expertise in laboratory leadership, analytical methods, and applied forensic toxicology.
Donna Papsun, MS, D-ABFT-FT
Forensic Toxicologist & Business Scientist
NMS Labs
Donna Papsun is a forensic toxicologist and business scientist with NMS Labs in Horsham, PA. She has dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemistry and Forensic & Investigative Science and a Master of Science degree in Pharmacology. She is also certified as a Diplomate in Forensic Toxicology through the American Board of Forensic Toxicology and is a member of both the Society of Forensic Toxicologists (SOFT) and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS).
Ms. Papsun has been with NMS Labs since 2008, first as a bench analyst before promotion to toxicologist in 2012. Ms. Papsun’s main area of interest is novel psychoactive substances or NPS. As one of the two leaders of NMS’s NPS strategy team, she continuously works to help maintain NMS’s leadership in identifying the newest trends in the changing landscape of the designer drug market and developing tests for their detection in forensic toxicology casework. Ms. Papsun also serves in a secondary role as a business scientist, working to align the technical and scientific expertise of NMS Labs with commercial efforts.
Luke Rodda, PhD
Chief Forensic Toxicologist and Director
Forensic Laboratory Division; University of California, San Francisco
Luke N. Rodda, PhD is Chief Forensic Toxicologist and Director of the Forensic Laboratory Division at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, City and County of San Francisco, and Assistant Adjunct Professor at UCSF. His work focuses on the analysis and interpretation of alcohol, drugs, and poisons in medico-legal casework, including death investigations, drug-impaired driving, and drug-facilitated crimes. Dr. Rodda has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications on forensic toxicology, mass spectrometry, novel psychoactive substances, and opioid-related harms, and he has provided expert testimony in both criminal and civil proceedings. He is internationally recognized for his contributions to method development, oral fluid testing, and the monitoring of emerging drug trends, and he has played a leading role in advancing public policy related to impaired driving and forensic toxicology standards.
Karen S. Scott, PhD, F-ABFT
Director; Medical Director
Forensic Toxicology Laboratory; Hospital Toxicology Laboratory; University of Alabama at Birmingham
Karen S. Scott, PhD is Associate Professor and Director of the Clinical and Forensic Toxicology Laboratories at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, with more than 30 years of experience in forensic toxicology. She earned her PhD from the University of Glasgow, where she trained in postmortem toxicology alongside forensic pathologists, and later completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Japan’s National Institute of Health Sciences focusing on drug detection in hair. Dr. Scott has held leadership roles in both academia and forensic laboratories, including directing the MSFS program at Arcadia University and the Master’s in Forensic Toxicology program at Glasgow. She currently serves on the executive board of the National Safety Council’s Alcohol, Drugs, and Impairment Division, the editorial board of Clarke’s Analysis of Drugs and Poisons, and the OSAC Forensic Toxicology Subcommittee. In 2025, she received the Outstanding Service to Council of Forensic Scientists (COFSE) Award in recognition of her contributions to the field.
Paul M. Wax, MD, FACMT
Executive Director
American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT)
Dr. Wax is the Executive Director of the American College of Medical Toxicology. He received his B.A from Dartmouth College, his M.D. from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, his Emergency Medicine training at the UCLA Hospitals, and his Medical Toxicology training at Bellevue Medicine Center / New York University. He is Board-certified in both Medical Toxicology and Emergency Medicine, and is a Fellow of the American College of Medical Toxicology.