Lana Brockbals
Papers
1
Total Citations
57
H-Index
1
About
Dr. Lana Brockbals is a forensic toxicologist whose research addresses one of the field’s most persistent challenges: accurately interpreting drug concentrations in postmortem samples. Her key contributions center on postmortem redistribution (PMR)—the phenomenon where drug levels shift in the body after death, complicating cause-of-death determinations. In her highly cited 2018 work (57 citations), Brockbals pioneered the use of CT-guided robotic biopsy sampling (the Virtobot system) to systematically study the time-dependent redistribution of opioids in blood and alternative matrices. This innovative approach provided unprecedented insights into how opioids move through tissues postmortem, directly improving the reliability of forensic casework. Her work has been instrumental in establishing evidence-based guidelines for interpreting postmortem toxicology results, reducing the risk of misattributing drug involvement in deaths. By merging cutting-edge imaging technology with rigorous analytical chemistry, Brockbals has advanced forensic medicine’s ability to distinguish antemortem drug exposure from postmortem artifacts. Her research is essential reading for toxicologists, pathologists, and legal professionals seeking to strengthen the scientific foundation of death investigations.
Research Focus
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Top Papers
- 1