Conference Schedule

This workshop will provide a practical introduction to medical imaging for forensic anthropologists, with an emphasis on the use of radiographs and other imaging modalities for positive identification. Participants will review the fundamentals of radiography and CT; learn how to recognize common imaging orientations and interpret basic skeletal anatomy; and explore how positioning, projection, and image quality affect appearance. Through case examples and hands-on exercises, participants will learn a systematic approach to comparing antemortem and postmortem images, identifying concordant and discordant features, and evaluating the strength and limitations of radiographic evidence for identification.

Dr. Diana Messer is a board-certified forensic anthropologist at the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center. She has worked on hundreds of forensic cases across seven states involving the search, recovery, and analysis of human skeletal remains. Her work includes skeletal trauma analysis, unidentified persons investigations, and pediatric fracture healing research related to suspected child abuse. Dr. Messer previously worked at Western Carolina University, as well as in support of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.