Expert perspectives on forensic toxicology, drug trends, and public health by Dr. Ruby Javed, Ph.D.
Stay informed with Dr. Javed's expert insights on forensic toxicology cases, emerging drug trends, laboratory best practices, and community health initiatives. This blog serves as a resource for legal professionals, healthcare providers, and the public seeking to better understand the science behind toxicology.
Tags: Education, Testimony, DUI/DWI
I have been receiving an increasing number of forensic toxicology inquiries involving GLP-1 medications and alcohol-related DUI cases.And they raise an interesting scientific question:Can medications
Tags: Education
When multiple drugs are detected, which one caused the toxicity?Sometimes, that is the wrong question.In forensic toxicology, I frequently evaluate cases in which several substances are present simult
Tags: Education, Testimony
A toxicology report may be only a few pages long.The questions behind it can fill an entire case.When attorneys receive a forensic toxicology report, attention naturally goes to the substances detecte
Tags: Education
The toxicology report tells you what was detected. But before interpreting the result, I want to know something else that matters:What specimen was tested and when and where was it collected?In postmo
Tags: Education, Synthetic Substances, Media
Recently, I shared a post discussing the continuing forensic and public-health significance of fentanyl. Tragically, today also brought a real-world example of why this discussion remains so important
Tags: Education, Synthetic Substances
A fentanyl concentration can be measured precisely. Its meaning is not always as simple.In forensic death investigations, one of the first questions I am often asked when fentanyl is detected is: “Is
Tags: Education, Synthetic Substances
A 16-year-old in San Francisco died in April 2026 after exposure to a combination of drugs that included cychlorphine, a newly emerging synthetic opioid.What is cychlorphine?Cychlorphine, also known a
Tags: Education
A toxicology result is a number. An expert interpretation is much more.In forensic death investigations, it can be tempting to look at a reported drug concentration and immediately ask:“Is this a fata
Tags: Poisoning
The ultimate goal of a forensic toxicologist is not simply to identify a chemical.It is to understand what that chemical means in the context of the person, the exposure, the disease process, and the
Tags: Personal
Most people know me as a forensic toxicologist.Very few know why I chose this path.For more than 22 years, I have dedicated my career to forensic toxicology, death investigation, and the pursuit of sc