Session Chairs – Nataša Radosavljević-Stevanović (Technics Police Directorate, Serbia) & Bjoern Ahrens (Federal Criminal Police Office, Germany)
Please note that the symposium is aimed at forensic science laboratory personnel and will discuss topics from a scientific perspective.
The symposium will be held virtually on the WebEx platform which can be accessed via a web browser, the WebEx web app or a mobile app. If using the WebEx mobile app, it is recommended that the latest version is installed to ensure full functionality.
Please register separately for each session you would like to attend. After registering you will receive a link to join the session.
For enquiries about the symposium, please contact unodc-globalsmart@un.org
Chrissy Black completed her BSc in Forensic Science and Criminology and Criminal Justice in 2012 from Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia. She completed majors in both Forensic Molecular Chemistry and Forensic Chemistry. Ms. Black spent 18 months as an Analytical Chemist in the Technical Services team at Viatris (previously known as Alphapharm or Mylan) performing quality testing of pharmaceuticals and method development. In 2017, Ms. Black relocated back to New Zealand to join ESR as a Senior Technician in the Forensic Drug Chemistry group. She has since moved into the role of Senior Scientist after undergoing an intensive 18-month training program. Ms. Black’s current role involves the examination and analysis of items for forensic purposes, including the identification, quantification, and reporting of controlled drugs. She is also involved in the screening for controlled drugs in international border shipments at the Customs-ESR screening laboratory (CESL). Her research focus lies on Novel Psychoactive Substances and the analysis of the drug market in New Zealand which she has authored or co-authored several papers on. She also has extended her focus to include new technologies that can assist in the identification of these substances that would improve workflows in Forensic laboratories around the world, such as the Agilent QuickProbe.
Jowita Polak has graduated obtaining a M.Sc. in chemistry at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Poland in 2000. She works in the Central Forensic Laboratory of the Police in Warsaw, Poland, for 24 years and 20 as a forensic expert. Her work focuses on identification of psychoactive substances, precursors, profiling of amphetamine and BMK. She also participates in the scenes of illegal drug laboratories. She prepares opinions for the police, court and prosecutors and also conducts training for future experts.
Björn Ahrens has received his doctor’s degree in Chemistry from Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen. He worked as research associate in the field of analysis of drugs and poisons in body fluids, tissues and hair at the Legal Medicine Departments of Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen and Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena. In 2002 he entered the service of the Bundeskriminalamt (Federal Criminal Police Office, Germany). He is Forensic Expert for analysis of seized drugs & poisons, head of the German Heroin Profiling Program, contact person for chemical warfare agents and member of the steering committee of the European Network of Forensic Sciences Institutes Drugs Working Group (ENFSI-DWG).
Michaela König has graduated at Technical University in Berlin, Germany, in 2016 obtaining a M.Sc. in chemistry. In 2023, she obtained PhD in chemistry at the same university. She works as an expert witness in toxicology / narcotics and psychotropic substances at the Forensic Science Institute of the State Police in Berlin, Germany. Her work focuses on novel psychoactive substances, analysis of narcotics and designer drugs in Berlin and supporting police officers at clandestine drug laboratories sites. Besides, she leads a team of scientists and laboratory technicians and teaches students and police officers in forensic toxicology.
Anastasiia Voronina has graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine in 2006 obtaining a M.Sc. in chemistry. In 2009 she began working as a chief state inspector-expert in the Specialized Laboratory on Examination and Research of the State Customs Service of Ukraine. For almost 10 years she carried out examinations of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors within the framework of smuggling prevention and performed analysis of pharmaceutical substances and products, biologically active additives, pesticides etc. as a part of customs control and customs clearance. In 2019, Ms. Voronina joined the team of forensic experts in the State Scientific Research Forensic Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. Since 2022, she has been working as the Deputy head of the Department of Research, Certification and Profiling of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances, their Analogues and Precursors and coordinates the drug analysis activities of 24 territorial divisions of the Expert Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. Her area of specialty is in the field of seized drug analysis, with particular focus on the new psychoactive substances.She is a co-author of a number of scientific publications and guidelines for expert institutions in matters of actual issues of drugs forensic expertise. She provides consultations and cooperates closely with law enforcement agencies and is a regular trainer of the Prosecutor's Training Center of Ukraine in the area of drug examination.