An introduction to aspects of forensic medicine: Death, forensic odontology forensic psychiatry and sexual assault

Dr Elsa Desmond trained at Kings College London and is currently a Foundation doctor completing her General Surgery rotation at Southend hospital. With a keen interest in Forensic Medicine and Sexual Offences Medicine, she undertook her final year medical student Elective Career development period at The Havens London Sexual Assault Referral Centres. Dr Desmond hopes to one day train to be a Sexual Offences Examiner alongside a career in emergency medicine or anaesthetics.

Dr Frances Cranfield is a senior partner in her general practice and is Assistant Coroner for Hertfordshire.  She is a Past President of the Clinical Forensic and Legal Medicine Section, Royal Society of Medicine, a founder member of the Expert Witness Institute, a Founder Member and Fellow of the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine and gave evidence at the Shipman Inquiry. She sits on the Council of the Royal College of General Practitioners and is college lead for Medical Examiners and sits on the Royal College of Pathologists Medical Examiners Committee and Notification of Deaths Committee

Melanie Clarkson qualified as a dentist in June 2003 after studying at St Bartholomew’s and the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry. On graduation, Melanie followed her interest in joining the Royal Air Force as a Direct Entrant Dental Officer in August 2003 and has been working ever since as a General Dental Practitioner in the RAF.

She completed her elective in Toronto, Canada in 2002. She completed a 3-year part-time MSc at the University of Glamorgan, Wales, graduating with distinction in 2011 and has been on the Defence Dental Identification Team since 2008, becoming Lead in 2014.

Recent forensic Disaster Victim Identifications include Grenfell Tower, Leicester Shop Fire and the Leicester Helicopter Crash at King Power Football Stadium. She was awarded the Order of St John in 2019 and currently works as Staff Officer Clin Ops Dental in Defence Medical Services Headquarters, Whittington.