The Institute of Forensic Medicine of the University of Basel (IRM) sits at the intersection of medicine, the natural sciences and the law. The institute is a centre of forensic expertise and a partner to the judiciary, the healthcare system and the University of Basel. Founded in 1925, it marked its 100th anniversary in 2025.

The institute is organised into four departments: Forensic Medicine, Traffic Medicine, Forensic Genetics, and Forensic Chemistry and Toxicology. In addition to forensic investigations, analyses and expert reports for judicial and administrative authorities, the institute teaches at the University of Basel and conducts research in forensic imaging, forensic genetics, and forensic chemistry and toxicology.

Recent milestones include the accreditation of single-cell analysis using DEPArray™ Plus in forensic genetics, a harmonised analytical workflow across all biological samples in forensic chemistry and toxicology, and the extension of the evidence-retention period to five years in cases of sexual violence. The institute's new building on Socinstrasse is under construction; on completion, the IRM will establish a partnership with the Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology at the University Hospital Basel for postmortem diagnostics.