Education

Employment History

Institutional Responsibilities

Director of the Institute of Forensic Medicine (70 employees) with responsibility for organisation, personnel, finances, and strategic planning of services in forensic medicine, traffic medicine, forensic genetics, and forensic chemistry and toxicology for the Kantons Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft, Solothurn; 

Head physician forensic medicine, writing of expert reports and acting as expert witness in forensic medicine; strategic planning, coordination, and supervision of the research and teaching activities of the institute; scientific counselling of federal offices (BAG, fedpol, SEM) concerning forensic aspects (e.g. traffic safety, age estimation, practical aspects of criminal law); 

Member of the executive board of the health department Kanton Basel-Stadt

Major academic achievements

Building a research environment at the Institute of Forensic Medicine Basel (IRM): As the institute did not have any scientific activity prior to my appointment, the most relevant task in view of a future scientific output was building an infrastructural and personal research environment allowing to conducting high level research projects. The most relevant steps have been (1) developing an IT environment which allows to access scientific publications and other research resources at the University of Basel, (2) to install PhD student and postdoc positions in the three departments of forensic chemistry and toxicology, forensic imaging, and forensic genetics, (3) to create a dedicated research group with a research group leader in forensic imaging, (4) installing weekly journal clubs and research seminars, (5) establishing the process of applications to the ethical review board including, among others, a general ethics vote for conducting any non-invasive imaging examination in deceased with an autopsy request by the prosecution without the need of consent by the next of kin - this being an important step for performing research in postmortem forensic imaging, (6) appointing department heads who are qualified and motivated for scientific activity, (7) not claiming last authorship on all IRM publications for I deem this an important step to promote younger researchers by letting them take responsibility and gain visibility, and (8) applying for third-party funded projects.

One of my major scientific strengths is conducting research in the field of clinical-forensic imaging, which has a major impact on criminal proceedings in living victims. Applying magnetic resonance imaging to certain forensic questions allows to non-invasively detect relevant injury findings in addition to an external examination. As methodology particularly in MRI needs to be adapted to the aim of the exam and the questions to be answered, research and development of such methods are needed. My main fields of research in clinical-forensic imaging are age estimation, strangulation, fracture dating, and the detection and dating of hematomas. Forensic age estimation in adolescents is a highly relevant issue not only scientifically but also politically and legally. My studies concentrate mainly on the development and use of MRI based methods. I was able to show that X-ray based methods applied to assess dental and skeletal age, could be replaced by MRI and that the same staging systems could be used. The question of dating injury is important in forensic medicine. However, in living persons standard methods such as histology cannot be applied, and injured tissues heal and regenerate. The hypothesis of my scientific work is that MR based methods, i.e. morphologic as well as quantitative MRI permit to identify and measure additional information in regenerating tissue and its surrounding which can be used for dating. This applies similarly to hematomas as well as to fractures. Particularly in child abuse cases, estimating the age of a fracture as precisely as possible is decisive to include or exclude suspects.

[1] Glemser, P. A., Krauskopf, A., Schlemmer, H.-P., & Yen, K. (Eds.). (2021). Radiologie der Gewalt. Georg Thieme Verlag KG. https://doi.org/10.1055/b-004-132205.
[2] Ogris K, Petrovic A, Scheicher S, Sprenger H, Urschler M, Hassler EM, Yen K, Scheurer E (2017). Detection and volume estimation of artificial hematomas in the subcutaneous fatty tissue: comparison of different MR sequences at 3.0 T. Forensic Science, Medicine, and Pathology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-017-9847-8.
[3] Urschler M, Krauskopf A, Widek T, Sorantin E, Ehammer T, Borkenstein M, Yen K, Scheurer E (2016). Applicability of Greulich-Pyle and Tanner-Whitehouse grading methods to MRI when assessing hand bone age in forensic age estimation: A pilot study. Forensic Science International. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2016.06.016.
[4] Baron K, Neumayer B, Widek T, Schick F, Scheicher S, Hassler E, Scheurer E (2016). Quantitative MR imaging in fracture dating–Initial results. Forensic Science International. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2016.01.020.
[5] Widek T, Genet P, Ehammer T, Schwark T, Urschler M, Scheurer E (2021). Bone age estimation with the Greulich-Pyle atlas using 3T MR images of hand and wrist. Forensic Science International. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110654. 

In the field of postmortem forensic medicine, my focus is mainly on methodology with the aim of developing and optimizing methods to translate technical advances into a practical benefit for daily forensic routine. My research included the development of computer-aided tools for forensic case analysis and identification of deceased, investigating artefacts in organ histology after postmortem CT angiography, and establishing a technical set-up for infrared photography. Additionally, during my entire research career I have been investigating brain structure using MR based methods. My first steps in research included the use of MR spectroscopy in situ for the estimation of the postmortem interval based on metabolites from degrading brain tissue. Later, I explored diffusion-weighted and diffusion tensor MRI in postmortem brain tissue. Currently, my focus is on the investigation of brain edema, the influence of temperature of postmortem brain MRI and the validation of findings, as forensic autopsy and histology offer a unique opportunity for validating neuroradiology findings and can, thus, contribute to interdisciplinary science.

[6] Stumm CJ, Wittig H, Kalberer NM, Scheurer E (2020). Histomorphological assessment of isolated abdominal organs after targeted perfusion with the contrast agent Angiofil® in postmortem computed tomography angiography. Forensic Science International. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110427.
[7] Bauer M, Berger C, Gerlach K, Scheurer E, Lenz C (2022). Post mortem evaluation of brain edema using quantitative MRI. Forensic Science International. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2022.111376.
[8] Rost T, Kalberer N, Scheurer E (2017). A user-friendly technical set-up for infrared photography of forensic findings. Forensic Science International. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2017.07.001.
[9] Weiss G, Wittig H, Scheurer E, Ruprecht R, Lenz C (2018). Identification of deceased based on sternal bone computed tomography features. Forensic Science International. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2018.03.018.
[10] Langkammer C, Schweser F, Krebs N, Deistung A, Goessler W, Scheurer E, Sommer K, Reishofer G, Yen K, Fazekas F, Ropele S, Reichenbach JR (2012). Quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) as a means to measure brain iron? A post mortem validation study. NeuroImage. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.05.049. 

Teaching Activities

Full professorship at the Medical Faculty, University Basel, teaching responsibility for medical students (bachelor and master) in forensic medicine; Member of the curriculum commission of the master studies in biomedical engineering; Lecturer at the Juridical Faculty, University Basel, for forensic medicine

Memberships in Panels, Boards, and Individual Scientific Reviewing Activities

Active Membership in Scientific Societies

Swiss Society of Forensic Medicine (SGRM), German Society of Forensic Medicine (DGRM), Austrian Society of Forensic Medicine (ÖGGM), European Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and Biology (ESMRMB), International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM)

Organisation of Conferences

Prizes, Awards, Fellowships

Educational stipends (ISMRM / ESMRMB 2003-2008)

Award for the project “Aufbau einer klinisch-forensischen Untersuchungsstelle” (Medical University Graz 2011)