Stephan Group – The Laboratory for Human Craniofacial & Skeletal Identification (HuCS-ID Lab) - School of Biomedical Sciences

The HuCS-ID Lab is a forensic bioanthropology research lab. We use our expertise to improve a wide variety of skeletal identification methods, including those that present some of the toughest challenges in the field - like craniofacial identification. Our goal is to advance the ease, accuracy and reliability of skeletal identification in the medicolegal context.

Our work crosses both academics and applied science. We hold, for example, a long and valued track-record of work with the USA’s Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency to assist their noble mission of the fullest possible accounting of missing USA service members.

We work very closely with SBMS’s Gross Anatomy Facility (GAF) and this includes management the GAF’s Skeletisation Program and SBMS Library of Skeletons from indefinite (Type 2) body donors who consent to their body being considered for use in the program. These skeletons are available to our team members and collaborators for study and research.

Here is a quick snippet of the type of work we do in the HuCS-ID Lab, as presented at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) 2024 Meeting in Denver Colorado USA on AAFS|TV per AAFS own invite and request:

Interests and expertise

Human Identification, Skeletal Identification, Forensic Anthropology, Physical Anthropology, Skeletal Analysis, Osteology, Anatomy, Human variation, Radiographic Comparison, Osteometric Sorting, Mass Graves, Sex estimation, Age estimation, Ancestry estimation, Stature estimation, Trauma, Craniofacial Identification, Skull, Face, Facial approximation, Craniofacial superimposition.

Shape Analysis, Morphometrics, Anthropometry, 3D Scanning, Stereophotogrammetry, Geometric Morphometrics, Elliptical Fourier Analysis.

Medical Imaging, Ultrasound, Radiography, X-Rays, Optics, Photography.

R, Biostatistics, Mechatronics.

Facilities

The HuCS-ID Lab is well-equipped with the usual precision instruments of osteometric boards, callipers and other standard anthropometry devices and we use only internationally recognized manufacturers (such as GPM, Mopec). Instruments are routinely performance checked in-house under an annual quality assurance program and using an array of calibrated test artefacts to ensure measurement validity for scientific studies and casework.

The laboratory holds a broad range of 3D scanning devices to include: Artec Spider, Einscan, Next Engine, and Di3D Stereophotogrammetry. The Di3D equipment, used for instantaneous 3D acquisition of human faces, is operated in a separate dedicated video green-room.

Professional-grade camera equipment is used throughout the laboratory, including Canon 6D and Nikon D780 full-frame DSLRs, mounted on copy stands for detailed skeletal photography.

Being on UQ St Lucia Campus, we are only just down the road (200m) from the UQ Centre for Advanced Imaging (CAI), which offers a large array of medical imaging technology and is where we undertake our CT and MRI scans for research.

The HuCS-ID Lab works closely with the SBMS Gross Anatomy Facility (GAF) and its anatomical resources, so much so, that our forensic anthropology lab is physically embedded in the GAF to ensure seamless workflow under the Transplantation and Anatomy Act, Qld (1979). The UQ School of Anatomy is one of the largest anatomy Schools in Australia and it is the only school of its kind in the country to operate a whole-of-body skeletisation program for eligible indefinite donors.

Introduction

Anthropological instruments

Scan capabilities

Collaborators

Our collaborators are best identified from joint authored research publications. They span across the globe to include: USA, France, Belgium, Germany, Turkey, UK and Australia.

Students in the HuCS-ID Lab gain major benefits of networking with these experts as and when opportunities arise.

We routinely undertake collaborative joint work team members from the USA Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, and in particular, Dr John Byrd and Susan Jaques.

Prospective students

The HuCS-ID Lab offers higher degree research (HDR) training in a small group/lab environment.

PhD students are accepted on an ongoing basis. The HuCS-ID Lab typically accepts 1-2 honours students each year. Mid-year Honours intakes are considered, but only if the laboratory is not already at capacity.

Higher Degree Research projects

The HuCS-ID Lab has multiple projects available on:

structural anatomy of the skull and face, esp. that relevant to craniofacial identification;
anatomy of the skeleton useful for identification purposes.

Projects can be prescribed, but Associate Professor Stephan’s preference is to work with students to jointly tailor projects to the student’s particular area(s) of interest. Project discussions should be initiated with Associate Professor Stephan well in advance to submitting degree enrolment applications. Projects must, of course, fall within the laboratory’s areas of research expertise.

Stipends and tuition scholarships

For research higher degrees (Doctor of Philosophy and Masters), students are encouraged to apply for and be successful in obtaining tuition and living expense scholarships. Scholarship rounds are conducted in research quarters 1 and 3. Learn more about these scholarships and postgraduate studies at UQ. Applicants should note that scholarships are extremely competitive. Only the highest achieving students are typically successful. At the PhD applicant level, an in-hand authored publication is viewed very positively.

Scientific Meetings

As part of HDR training, we routinely fund our Honours and Higher Degree Researchers to attend international conferences to make scientific presentations (and/or to other labs for data collection). See ‘Lab News’ for examples.

Intakes

PhD & Masters

Applications can be made at any time of the year. Start times are agreed with Associate Professor Stephan and begin by research quarter.

Honours

Applications are made directly to the School of Biomedical Sciences. Start times are 1^st week of Feb (start of S1) and 3^rd week of July (mid-year intake / S2). Applications must be made prior to 5-Jan and 5-July respectively.

All applications for research projects to be conducted in the HuCS-ID Lab must carry Associate Professor Stephan’s endorsement.

View Past and Present PhD Projects Conducted in the HuCS-ID Lab

The HuCS-ID lab has developed several specialised data resources that that students can leverage for their research studies/degrees in craniofacial or skeletal identification. These resources additionally facilitate advanced subject matter workshops to industry / government, per consultancies arranged through UQ’s Consulting and Research Expertise unit, CoRE.

The resources include two sets of ultra-resolution medical images (MR and CT) for studying craniofacial anatomy and a specialized library of skeletons with matching pre-skeletisation radiographs (as pertinent to identification).

AP Stephan also curates the Collaborative Facial Soft Tissue Depth Data Store (at CRANIOFACIALidentification.com), which is an open-access, free, and online data resource for all craniofacial identification practitioners to use.

Further details on these resources can be found below.

HuCS-ID CT & MR Head Dataset (Decedents)

This resource comprises both CT and MR scans of a subset of 70 body donors to UQ’s anatomy program. Each subject in this database is represented by five scans: one axial CT, one sagittal CT, and three sets of 3T MRIs (T1-weighted MRI, T2-weighted MRI and PETRA ultrashort echo time). The scan resolutions are ultra-high to provide exquisite anatomical detail (0.5 mm slice thickness for each of the CTs and 0.65 mm slice thickness for most MRIs).

This dataset holds the advantage that the CT slice thicknesses are very thin and exist for the full length of the head. Such scans are not typically attainable for living subjects in the applied clinical setting where the high-resolution parameters cause the scans to exceed acceptable radiation dose limits.

All scans are acquired at UQ’s Centre for Advanced Imaging (CAI) using their latest Siemens equipment/software (Biograph Horizon CT scanner and Magnetrom Prisma 3T).

Data collection began in 2023 and will be complete in 2024.

CT and MR machines used for data collection at the CAI

CT and MR machines used for data collection at the CAI.

HuCS-ID MR Head Dataset (Living Persons)

This resource (soon to be acquired) will comprise three 3T MRI scans of each of approx. 200 living subjects: T1-weighted MRI, T2-weighted MRI and PETRA ultrashort echo time. The scan resolutions are ultra-high (0.65 mm slice thickness [as per the decedent database]) to provide exquisite anatomical detail.

All scans are acquired at UQ’s Centre for Advanced Imaging (CAI) using their latest Siemens Magnetrom Prisma 3T whole body MR.

Data collection for this resource is anticipated to occur during 2024.

Example T1-weighted MRI image of a living subject (used to set standard scan protocols for the dataset). Image by: T. Hona (HuCS-ID Lab) and N. Atcheson (CAI), 2023.

SBMS Skeletal Collection

This data resource comprises radiographs and skeletons belonging to a subset of Type II (indefinite) body donors to the UQ Body Donor and Anatomy program.

The dry skeletons are 100% traceable to single individuals of origin, and each is accompanied by 8-10 standard radiographs taken prior to skeletisation and all are ethically resourced through the UQ Body Donor Program. These three attributes set this collection apart from other skeletal collections available in the global domain.

Example skeleton from the SBMS Skeletal Collection.
Image reproduced from: Stephan, C. N., Caple, J. M., Veprek, A., Sievwright, E., Kippers, V., Moss, S., & Fisk, W. (2017). Complexities and Remedies of Unknown-provenance Osteology. In N. Pather & G. Strkalj (Eds.), Commemorations and Memorials in Anatomy: Tribute to the Giver (pp. 65-95).

The Collaborative Facial Soft Tissue Depth Data Store (C-Table)

The C-table represents a publicly available and centralised online repository of anonymized raw facial soft tissue depth data for the field of craniofacial identification. It is free to access and separately maintained and updated on a continuing basis by Associate Professor Stephan. Currently, the repository holds data contributed by 20 different research teams (see the C-Table website for details), representing >1,700 individuals collected at up to 25 standardized craniofacial landmarks.

The C-Table is available at CRANIOFACIALidentification.com.

C-Table

The HuCS-ID Lab publishes in leading forensic science and biological anthropology journals.

Examples include:
The International Journal of Legal Medicine, The American Journal of Biological Anthropology, The Journal of Forensic Sciences, Forensic Science International, Science & Justice, and Forensic Imaging.

Edited volumes

Recent papers

The Critical Photographic Variables Contributing to Skull-Face Superimposition Methods to Assist Forensic Identification of Skeletons: A Review
Healy, Sean S., Stephan, Carl N. (2024) The critical photographic variables contributing to skull-face superimposition methods to assist forensic identification of skeletons: A review. Journal of Imaging. 10 (1) 17. https://doi.org/10.3390/jimaging10010017

Cervicothoracic junction in disaster victim identification: Idiosyncrasies and relevance of body position for advanced chest radiograph comparisons
Stephan, Carl N., Caple, Jodi M., Jaques, Susan S.D., Byrd, John E. (2023) Cervicothoracic junction in disaster victim identification: Idiosyncrasies and relevance of body position for advanced chest radiograph comparisons. Journal of Forensic Sciences. In Press. https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.15436

Global Facial Soft Tissue Thicknesses for Craniofacial Identification (2024): A Review of 140 years of Data since Welcker’s First Study
Hona, Te Wai Pounamu T. and Stephan, Carl N. (2024). Global Facial Soft Tissue Thicknesses for Craniofacial Identification (2023): A Review of 140 years of Data since Welcker’s First Study. International Journal of Legal Medicine. 138 (2) 519-535. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-023-03087-x

Perspective distortion tolerances and skull-face registration in craniofacial superimposition: an analytical review
Healy, Sean S. and Stephan, Carl N. (2023). Perspective distortion tolerances and skull-face registration in craniofacial superimposition: an analytical review. International Journal of Legal Medicine 137 1767-1776. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-023-03081-3

Focus distance estimation from photographed faces: a test of PerspectiveX using 1709 frontal and profile photographs from DSLR and smartphone cameras
Healy, Sean S. and Stephan, Carl N. (2023). Focus distance estimation from photographed faces: a test of PerspectiveX using 1709 frontal and profile photographs from DSLR and smartphone cameras. International Journal of Legal Medicine 137 1907-1920 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-023-03078-y

Cephalometric landmark standards and recent trends in craniofacial identification (2018-22): avoiding imposters by describing variant landmarks as supplemental
Hona, Te Wai Pounamu T. and Stephan, Carl N. (2022). Cephalometric landmark standards and recent trends in craniofacial identification (2018-22): avoiding imposters by describing variant landmarks as supplemental. Forensic Imaging 31 200525 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fri.2022.200525

Craniofacial superimposition: a review of focus distance estimation methods and an extension to profile view photographs
Stephan, Carl N., Healy, Sean, Bultitude, Hamish and Glen, Chris (2022). Craniofacial superimposition: a review of focus distance estimation methods and an extension to profile view photographs. International Journal of Legal Medicine 136 1697-1716 doi: 10.1007/s00414-022-02871-5

Infracranial radiographic comparison for human identification: a study of image quality and tissue shielding effects
Hona, Te Wai Pounamu T., Byrd, John E. and Stephan, Carl N. (2022). Infracranial radiographic comparison for human identification: a study of image quality and tissue shielding effects. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 67 (3), 854-867. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-023-03087-x

Top-cited papers

Facial Soft Tissue Depths in Craniofacial Identification (Part I): An Analytical Review of the Published Adult Data
Stephan, Carl N. and Simpson, Ellie K. (2008). Facial Soft Tissue Depths in Craniofacial Identification (Part I): An Analytical Review of the Published Adult Data. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 53 (6), 1257-1272. doi: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2008.00852.x

Facial soft tissue thicknesses in Australian adult cadavers
Domaracki, Monica and Stephan, Carl N. (2006). Facial soft tissue thicknesses in Australian adult cadavers. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 51 (1), 5-10. doi: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2005.00009.x

Predicting nose projection and pronasale position in facial approximation: A test of published methods and proposal of new guidelines
Stephan, Carl N., Henneberg, Maciej and Sampson, Wayne (2003). Predicting nose projection and pronasale position in facial approximation: A test of published methods and proposal of new guidelines. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 122 (3), 240-250. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.10300

Building faces from dry skulls: are they recognized above chance rates?
Stephan, C. N. and Henneberg, M. (2001). Building faces from dry skulls: are they recognized above chance rates?. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 46 (3), 432-440.

A standardized nomenclature for craniofacial and facial anthropometry
Caple, Jodi and Stephan, Carl N. (2015). A standardized nomenclature for craniofacial and facial anthropometry. International Journal of Legal Medicine, 130 (3), 1-17. doi: 10.1007/s00414-015-1292-1

Facial approximation: An evaluation of mouth-width determination
Stephan, Carl N. (2003). Facial approximation: An evaluation of mouth-width determination. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 121 (1), 48-57. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.10166

Selected book chapters

Skeletal evidence of sharp-force disarticulation and tissue flensing in 54 Cases exhibiting approximately 4200 bone strike injuries
Stephan, Carl N., Caple, Jodi M., Atkins, Jen G., Lynch, Jeffrey J., Meikle, Brandon and Fisk, Wes (2019). Skeletal evidence of sharp-force disarticulation and tissue flensing in 54 Cases exhibiting approximately 4200 bone strike injuries. Dismemberments: Perspectives in Forensic Anthropology and Legal Medicine. (pp. 133-154) edited by Ann H. Ross and Eugénia Cunha. London, United Kingdom: Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-12-811912-9.00009-5

Skeletal identification by radiographic comparison of the cervicothoracic region on chest radiographs
Stephan, Carl N., D'Alonzo, Susan S., Wilson, Emily K., Guyomarc'h, Pierre, Berg, Gregory E. and Byrd, John E. (2018). Skeletal identification by radiographic comparison of the cervicothoracic region on chest radiographs. New perspectives in forensic human skeletal identification. (pp. 277-292) edited by Krista E. Latham, Eric J. Bartelink and Michael Finnegan. London, Untied Kingdom: Academic Press, Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-805429-1.00024-7

Complexities and remedies of unknown-provenance osteology
Stephan, Carl N., Caple, Jodi M., Veprek, Andrew, Sievwright, Emma, Kippers, Vaughan, Moss, Steve and Fisk, Wesley (2017). Complexities and remedies of unknown-provenance osteology. Commemorations and memorials: exploring the human face of anatomy. (pp. 65-95) edited by Goran Štrkalj and Nalini Pather. Singapore, Singapore: World Scientific. doi: 10.1142/9789813143159_0006

Craniofacial Identification Techniques of Facial Approximation and Craniofacial Superimposition
Stephan, Carl N. and Claes, Peter (2016). Craniofacial Identification Techniques of Facial Approximation and Craniofacial Superimposition. Handbook of forensic anthropology and archaeology. (pp. 402-415) edited by Soren Blau and Douglas H. Ubelaker. New York NY United States: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781315528939-37

Two-dimensional computer generated average human face morphology and facial approximation
Stephan,, Penton-Voak, Ian S., Perrett, David I., Tiddeman, Bernard P., Clement, John G. and Henneberg, Maciej (2005). Two-dimensional computer generated average human face morphology and facial approximation. Computer-graphic facial reconstruction. (pp. 105-127) edited by John G. Clement and Murray K. Marks. Boston, United States: Academic Press

Complete publications list

Group Head

Associate Professor Carl Stephan

Chief Anatomist
Associate Professor

School of Biomedical Sciences

Students

Miss Telena Hona

PhD student

School of Biomedical Sciences
Mr Sean Healy

PhD student

School of Biomedical Sciences
Mr Robert Humphrey

Honours student

School of Biomedical Sciences
Mr Lachlan McInerney

Honours student

School of Biomedical Sciences

GAF Staff Collaborators

Mr Wes Fisk

Gross Anatomy Facility Manager

School of Biomedical Sciences
Mr Andrew Veprek

Team Leader, Gross Anatomy Facility

School of Biomedical Sciences
Miss Jennifer Atkins

Anatomy Mortuary Technician

School of Biomedical Sciences

Spotlight on HuCS-ID student alumni

Dr Jodi Caple

Obtained her PhD in 2018, graduating with 6 paper outputs from the PhD and received one of three Dean’s Awards for an Outstanding Thesis. Dr Caple now works as a Forensic Anthropologist & Postdoctoral Research Associate with SNA International at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, HI, USA.

Dr Hayley Fancourt

Hayley Hayley graduated with a First Class Honours in Science (2017). Hayley published one paper during her Honours year (FSI) and another one following degree completion (JFS). Hayley attained both the highest score for her final research presentation and won the Michael F. Hickey Memorial Honours Prize (highest overall Honours grade for the SBMS in that year). Hayley recently graduated Medicine from the Australian National University, where she also worked part time as an Anatomy Technical Officer.

Lab alumni

PhD

Telena Hona: Correlations of human facial soft tissue thickness with body mass in sub-adults and adults as revealed by lateral radiographs and MRI
Sean Healy: Craniofacial superimposition: Can machine learning improve focus distance estimation from real-world facial photographs
Jeffrey Lynch: Computerized methods for de-commingling mixed human skeleton assemblages: New Automated Approaches Using Centroid Banding
Jodi Caple: Fourier Analysis of Lateral Cranial Profiles for Predicting Sex and Ancestry in Forensic Anthropology

Honours

Robert Humphrey: An anatomical CT investigation of the eyeball relationships to the bony orbit (active 2024)
Lachlan McInerney: The anatomical accuracy of mouth width estimation methods from the skull: Validation tests using 3D medical scans (active 2024)
Jithya Joshy: A craniometric dataset to help detect South Asian skulls and filter their intake into Anatomy Teaching Schools
Suhail Askarzai: Does Phalangeal Morphology Encode Side, Digit and Row as Relevant for Legal Medicine?
Sean Healy: Improving identification for forensic craniofacial superimposition: The accuracy of subject-to-camera distance estimation from human face anatomy recorded in frontal and profile images.
Tom Beresford: How good are 3D optical scanners and photogrammetry for scientific analysis of human bone anatomy?
Te Wai Pounamu Telena Hona: Accuracies of Radiographic Comparison for Skeletal Identification
Brianna Armstrong: Testing the accuracy of subject-to-camera distance estimation in craniofacial superimposition using palpebral fissure length
Madeline Ashton: DNA tracking for embalmed specimens
Chelsea Olditch: Radiographic Comparison for Human Identification
Brandon Meikle: Patterns of Facial Soft Tissue Thicknesses as Measured in Large Samples by Ultrasound
Jennifer Atkins: The utility of infracranial methods for sex and age estimation of contemporary Australians
Hayley Fancourt: Pairwise matching of commingled long bones: a computerized approach using 3D elliptical Fourier analysis
Redmond Lopez: Sex and Ancestry Variation of the Extracranial Space
Ashleigh Yeap: Characterisation of Facial Muscle Morphology from Bony Attachments
Emma Sievwright: Do Craniometrics Correlate with Facial Soft Tissue Thicknesses in a Living Adult Australian Sample
Lachlan Munn: Posture and Expression Effects on Face Typology as Mapped by 3D Stereophotogrammetry for Forensic Face Identification
Rory Preisler: The effect of Posture on Facial Soft Tissue Depths, Shorths and Shormaxes – Using B-mode Ultrasound
Jodi Caple: Facial Soft Tissue Thicknesses of Australian Juveniles: Analysis of the Computed Tomography Tangent Method

May 2024

This month we completed our 8th Masterclass for DPAA analysts in Chest Radiograph Comparison onsite at UQ.

April 2024

Jithya Joshy has been announced as the winner of the Michael F. Hickey Prize for the highest overall SBMS Honours research degree mark, awarded in Anatomy & Physiology subdisciplines for 2023 – congratulations Jithya!

February 2024

Pioneering work of the HuCS-ID Lab and UQ Anatomy Lab regarding Medical Teaching Skeletons, first undertaken in 2017 and leading ethical interventions towards these remains in the anatomy space, receives attention in the lastest issue of Nature Communications 2024.

For additional information on nuances of these medical teaching skeletons see Stephan et al. 2019 Skeletal Evidence of Sharp–Force Disarticulation and Tissue Flensing in 54 Cases Exhibiting Approximately 4,200 Bone Strike Injuries.

Chest radiograph comparisons continue to help resolve the identities of unaccounted-for US Soldiers from the Korean War at the USA Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA).
In the first 7 weeks of this year, three identifications from the Korean War have been made by the DPAA and all three included Chest Radiograph Comparisons as a line of identification evidence.
For further information see DPAA News Releases (also includes links to releases for prior accounting years).
The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) features the HuCS-ID Lab, Dr John Byrd (DPAA Laboratory Director) and Michael Streed (The SketchCop) in the AAFS |TV Thought Leadership Video “Forensic Anthropology at the Front Lines of Repatriation & Skeletal Identification”. Watch here.

January 2024

Websedge begins filming at the HuCS-ID Lab for the 2024 AAFS|TV Thought Leadership Film Series – Look out for the short films at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences Meeting in Denver, Feb 2024!
The HuCS-ID Lab takes video superimposition to the photographics literature for the first time, reframing methods in terms of critical photographic parameters – see our latest publication in the Journal of Imaging.

December 2023

Congratulations to Sean Healy on winning 2023’s SBMS Student Research Excellence Award at the recently held SBMS Awards Night!
HuCS-ID Lab students present 3 papers at this year’s Australasian Society of Human Biology (ASHB) Conference in Brisbane – well done Sean, Telena and Jithya.
Congratulations to Jithya Joshy on obtaining the runners-up prize for Best Student Presentation at ASHB, Brisbane, on her talk concerning medical teaching skeletons!

November 2023

Congratulations to Telena on her recent award of a 2023 American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) Student Travel Grant to attend and present at the next annual AAFS meeting in Denver 2024! We send acknowledgements of thanks to AAFS for their generous support of international students (and their long-haul flights from remote locations)!!
Congratulations to Tom Beresford on his acceptance to the ANU Medical Program for 2024! Outstanding achievement Tom!

October 2023

Congratulations Jithya on obtaining the second highest mark in the SBMS Honours cohort for your final report seminar! Talk title: “A craniometric dataset to help detect South Asian skulls and filter their intake into Anatomy Schools”
The latest 2023 composite (c) score based on Scopus data has just been released placing Carl’s work in the top 0.3% of all forensic scientists who hold: a) more than 5 paper publications; and b) a top ranked Science-Metrix category of Legal & Forensic Medicine. USA rank = 14^th, worldwide rank = 77^th when Legal & Forensic Medicine is either the first OR second Science-Metrix category. Reference: Ioannidis, John P.A. (2023), “October 2023 data-update for "Updated science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators"”, Elsevier Data Repository, V6, doi: 10.17632/btchxktzyw.6

September 2023

PhD students in the Lab strike a record with 3 papers accepted in IJLM within one month!!! Way to go Sean and Telena!

July 2023

The HuCS-ID Lab hosted the 7th Masterclass Training in Chest Radiograph Comparison for DPAA analysts onsite at UQ (St Lucia and Herston Campuses).

April 2023

Congratulations to Telena Hona on winning the American Association of Biological Anthropologists’ (AABA) Prize for Outstanding Student Presentation: Anatomy in Anthropology, Reno, USA for her podium research talk: Understanding Childhood Growth—A Pilot Study of Facial Soft Tissue Thicknesses and Body Mass Relationships in Children Aged 5-17 years!

March 2023

HuCS-ID Lab begins new work establishing the first of two new hallmark head datasets comprised of medical images that will provide unrivalled research resources in craniofacial ID for the future.

This first dataset, the HuCS-ID CT & MRI Head Dataset (Decedents), comprises 5x 3D scans of 70 decedent heads (2x different CT protocols and 3x different 3T MR protocols all at the super-resolution of 0.5-0.65mm slice thickness!).

The second dataset, HuCS-ID MR Head Dataset (Living Persons), will be initiated later this year (3x different 3T MR protocols all at the super-resolution of 0.5-0.65mm slice thickness).

These data provide outstanding opportunities for new PhD students. Sign up now!

February 2023

Congratulations to Telena Hona on her receipt of a 2023 Pollitzer Student Travel Grant to attend the next American Association of Biological Anthropologists (AABA) Meeting in Reno, USA!

Fancourt et al. (2021) paper on commingling has been recognized by Wiley as a JFS Top Cited paper for 1 Jan 2021-15 Dec 2022 (Clarivate Analytics)

January 2023

The HuCS-ID Lab is celebrating its 10^th year at UQ and in SBMS this month.
The HuCS-ID Lab hosted the 6^th CXR Masterclass Training for DPAA analysts onsite UQ at St Lucia and Herston Campuses. Jump to DPAA’s Linkedin post on the training.

December 2022

UQ Faculty of Medicine's UQmedicine magazine profiles Associate Professor Carl Stephan

October 2022

The HuCS-ID Lab is now accepting Honours Research applications for 2023.

A number of forensic anthropology and anatomy projects are on offer. Contact the Lab Head, Assoc Prof Stephan, for more information.

HuCS-ID Lab, with Telena Hona as lead author, publishes in Forensic Imaging—the first paper in the journal’s history to receive, from all three expert reviewers, “a publish with no corrections”!

Notified by Dr Thomas Ruder, Associate Editor, Forensic Imaging

September 2022

The Journal of Forensic Sciences Recognizes a 2017 HuCS-ID Lab paper as outstanding by Inclusion in their National Forensic Science Week Virtual Special Issue!
DPAA Lab Director, Dr John Byrd, outlines contributions of Chest Radiograph comparison to Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Mission on Youtube. Watch it now.

DPAA showcases a video sequence of the Clavicle Matching Program (CMP) on their Facebook #ForensicFriday pages.

July 2022

Congratulations to Sean Healy (Honours student) for his win of a Best Student Presentation at the 19^th Annual Meeting of the International Association for Craniofacial Identification in Liverpool UK.

AP Stephan’s Best Scientific Abstract Award at the 19^th International Association of Craniofacial Identification Meeting (2022) was received by Seppe Goovaerts (Belgium) and colleagues for the abstract “Multivariate GWAS identifies 30 independent genetic loci involved in normal-range 3D cranial vault shape”.

May 2022

The HuCS-ID Lab hosted the 5^th CXR Masterclass Training for DPAA analysts onsite UQ at St Lucia and Herston Campuses.

August 2018

The HuCS-ID Lab welcomes the International Association of Craniofacial Identification (IACI) to Brisbane for their 30^th anniversary meeting, with multiple team members contributing to a FSI special issue: Latest Progress in Craniofacial Identification: 17th Biennial Meeting of the International Association of Craniofacial Identification (IACI), Brisbane, 15-19 July 2017