Forensic Medicine

The Department of Forensic Medicine is part of the School of Clinical Medicine in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.

Its research centres on forensic anthropology, human identification and skeletal pathology, with work on tuberculosis in skeletal remains, unidentified decedents, burn fatalities and the recovery of scattered remains. Studies also examine urban scavenger activity and medico-legal investigations.

Further themes include digital imaging, decision tree analysis and machine learning applied to diagnostic accuracy, alongside methodological work on skeletal preparation and search strategies. The research is focused on South Africa and the wider Southern African region.