Forensic Epidemiology
Forensic epidemiology is a unique hybrid discipline within the family of disciplines that fall under the descriptions of both Forensic Medicine (FM) and Epidemiology, that is directed at the evaluation of causation in a medicolegal setting. Example projects include the development and advancement of methods for injury and disease causal analyses, diagnostic accuracy evaluation of forensic radiology methods, trends in police use of force-related hospital admissions, and risk factor analysis for birth trauma-related injury, to name just a few. The team instrumental in UM-wide platform: Maastricht Science in Court.
Contact: Dr. Michael Freeman en Prof. Dr. Maurice Zeegers
Current projects
Maastricht Science in Court
Maastricht Science in Court (MSiC) is an Interfaculty Research Collaborative that aims to improve the evidence basis for legal decision making, and translation between forensic disciplines.
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Causal Inference
Maastricht University is an internationally known center for the development and application of causal inference methodology that can be used in a medicolegal setting. We focus on developing the Forensic Epidemiology field itself and translate these methods for application in a wide variety of case specific applications in criminal and civil courts. We also deliver research data that can support fact finders in real-word court cases. We hope to contribute to improving both public health and the judiciary system when the causes of diseases and injuries are better understood.
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Recent Publications (with authors from the meta-research team)
- The Cumulative Incidence of Post-Traumatic Epilepsy After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review and Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis Protocol (Joshua Goldenberg, Maurice Zeegers, Michael Freeman)
- Response to “More on ‘The role of restraint in fatal excited delirium’ (Michael Freeman, Ellen Strömmer, Wendy Leith, Maurice Zeegers)
- A predictive model for perinatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy using linked maternal and neonatal hospital data (Wendy Leith, Maurice Zeegers, Michael Freeman)
- Injuries Due to Law Enforcement Use of Force in the United States, 2006-2015: Trends in Severity and by Race (Ellen Strömmer, Wendy Leith, Maurice Zeegers, Michael Freeman)
Current PhD Projects
- Applications of forensic epidemiological methods to the investigation of violent injury and death (Ellie Strömmeri)
- Forensic Epidemiology of Motor Vehicle Crashes (Paul Nolet)
- The use of forensic epidemiology in medicolegal investigations of pediatric injury and death (Wendy Miller Leith)
- Characterization of acute and coercive hospitalizations in young people with early psychosis (Rebecca Rodrigues)
- Post-traumatic brain injury sequelae in the medicolegal environment: an evidence-based causation approach with a focus on post-concussion seizure disorder (Joshua Zvi Goldenberg)