Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine - VIFM

13/01/2026

What a fab way to start the new year ❤️

New Year, new resolutions…
Go to the gym 🏋️‍♀️
Drink less 🍷
Eat more greens 🥦

Or how about one that could save lives?

Registering to be an organ and tissue donor takes just two minutes.

No sweat. No smoothies. No memberships.

It’s easier than your first workout of the year - with much more impact. Your decision could one day help someone see again, walk again, or simply live.

Make this the resolution that truly matters ❤️

Register today. Two minutes is all it takes, once you have decided to become a donor, and discussed it with your family. https://www.donatelife.gov.au/register-donor-today

23/12/2025

Yesterday we celebrated VIFM legends Maria and Kellie - today, we’re continuing the theme by acknowledging more of the people who make VIFM what it is 👏

🏆 Quarterly ROSII Award
Congratulations to Andrea Lea, Forensic Nurse Examiner, our Quarterly ROSII Award winner 🌟📸

🎖 15 Year Long Service Awards
Thank you to Dr Sanjeev Gaya, Melissa Peka, Irene Kantzidis and Zoe Bowman for 15 years of outstanding service 🙌 📸

🎖 10 Year Long Service Awards
Congratulations to Lachlan Arentz, Charlie Ford and Niki Taxidis on reaching 10 years with VIFM 🎉📸

As we head toward the end of the year, it’s a great reminder of the people behind the work — and the commitment that keeps VIFM strong 💙

22/12/2025

🎉 Legends of VIFM! 🎉

Huge shout-out to two absolute legends 👏

🧪 Maria Pricone - 35 years as a Forensic Toxicologist expert at VIFM
🔬 Kellie Hamilton - 30 years as a Scientist & R&D expert with the Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria

Decades of dedication, expertise and impact. We’re so proud to celebrate you both 💙

22/12/2025

This festive season, we take a moment to reflect on the incredible impact of donation and to honour the donor families whose generosity continues to change lives.

With heartfelt thanks, we wish you peace and comfort during this time of reflection 💙

For those who'd like to make their wishes known, you can register as an organ and tissue donor here:
👉 https://www.donatelife.gov.au/register-donor-today

20/12/2025

🎉 Congratulations to Nat, Bianca and Anne - our Family Health team!🎉

We’re proud to celebrate the VIFM Family Health team on winning our Annual ROSII Award - awarded for general 'awesomeness', and specifically for encompassing all of our values of Respect, Openness, Service, Integrity and Innovation.

This achievement recognises their dedication, compassion, and commitment to supporting families when we have identified a medical condition in their deceased family member. This condition may have a genetic basis and be significant to the healthcare of surviving family members. It's a very sensitive and caring role they play with families at very difficult times, and a vital role for the community.

This is a fantastic result - congratulations again to Nat, Bianca and Anne! 👏

Pictured (L-R): Bianca Szymanski - Family Health Nurse, Nat Morgan - Family Health & Genetic Nurse Specialist and Anne Nunan - Family Health Nurse.

19/12/2025

📸 Then & Now – Cordner Hall Edition! 📸

Back in 2013, this photo was taken on the stairs of Cordner Hall at VIFM, featuring a much younger Dr Luke Rodda alongside colleagues of the time.

Fast forward to 2025 - Luke is now the Chief Forensic Toxicologist and Director at San Francisco's Chief Medical Examiner's Office, and during a recent visit back to the Institute, we couldn’t resist recreating the moment on the very same stairs with a group of today’s VIFM staff.

👀 Your challenge:
Can you name the people in both photos?
Who do you recognise from 2013, and who’s part of the 2025 crew?

Drop your answers in the comments and let’s see who has the sharpest memory!

18/12/2025

🎓VIFM forensic pathologists A/Prof Joanna Glengarry and Dr Felicity Barnes went back to school this week... and don't they look happy? 😁

The RCPA Summer School event in Melbourne gave medical students a first-hand look at what pathologists do and how they work - across all specialties, with Jo and Felicity giving their insights on Forensic Pathology.

We hope the students came out as happy as these two 👏👏👏

09/12/2025

✨ Giving is one of life’s greatest joys - this Christmas, consider registering as an organ and tissue donor.✨

Each year, thousands of lives are saved and transformed through the incredible generosity of organ and tissue donors. By registering your decision - and having an open conversation with your family about your wishes - you can help give someone the greatest gift of all: a second chance at life.

Registering takes just two minutes via the link. It’s simple, meaningful, and can make an extraordinary difference.

https://www.donatelife.gov.au/register-donor-today

From all of us at the Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria, we wish all our donor families a heartfelt Merry Christmas. We are holding you in our thoughts this festive season and honouring the legacy of your loved ones today and always. ❤️🎄

09/12/2025

Even our friends from Belgium know talking about Melbourne weather is totally the right thing to do 😍

🔍 International Spotlight: Forensic Toxicology in Belgium – Dr Sarah Wille (NICC, Brussels, Belgium)

As part of VIFM’s Seminar Series, we were pleased to welcome Dr Sarah Wille from the National Institute of Criminalistics and Criminology (NICC/INCC) in Brussels. During her visit, Dr Wille delivered an insightful seminar on how forensic toxicology operates within the Belgian system - covering laboratory structures, casework processes, and emerging substance trends across Europe. She also toured our Tox lab, and saw first hand how hard our scientists work in meeting the needs of Victoria Police and the justice system for roadside drug testing analysis. 🧪

08/12/2025

The VIFM continues to represent Australia on the global stage, and our tox experts and scientists flew the VIFM flag last week at the TIAFT 2025 conference in Aotearoa, New Zealand featuring elite international experts in toxicology.

Attendance at forums like TIAFT strengthens not only our global partnerships but also the depth and currency of our in-house expertise and capability through our amazing team members and participants.

Pictured are Dimitri Gerostamoulos, Joshua Simons, Linda Glowacki, Lachlan Scully, Jennifer Schumann, Jared Castle, Lachlan Arentz, and William McMaster.

03/12/2025

VIFM's Nurse Manager Liz Mackie was one of the speakers and panel members at the recent "Supports After Sexual Violence" event held by South East Community Links and SECASA (South Eastern Centre Against Sexual Assault) in Dandenong - that's Liz, 4th from the left on the first photo 👉.

The event was held in support of the UN Women's '16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence,' and included speakers from SECASA, VIFM, and Victoria Police’s Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team (SOCIT).

💡 The event aimed to raise awareness around disclosures of sexual abuse and violence especially when working with and supporting women from multicultural and diverse backgrounds.

🏥 Liz raised awareness of the Multidisciplinary Centre (MDC) in Dandenong, how Forensic Medical Examinations work, translator support, how evidence is collected, and joined the panel for Q&A. Well done Liz Mackie 👏 👏 👏

02/12/2025

Andrea, Cecily, Kristin and Marissel, all fabulous and dedicated Forensic Nurse Examiners at VIFM, recently attended the FAMSACA Conference on the Gold Coast to explore current developments in forensic medicine and clinical forensic practice. We love their commitment to professional development, and providing the best possible care and forensics for victim survivors of sexual assault across Victoria.

Forensic and Medical Sexual Assault Clinicians Australia (FAMSACA) is a professional organisation for nurses and medical practitioners who practice in sexual assault.

In their words:

👩‍⚕️"The conversations, stories, and shared commitments at FAMSACA are helping to shape a future where healing and dignity are at the heart of every response."

👩‍⚕️"Feeling grateful, inspired, and humbled to be part of this important work."

👩‍⚕️ "Key themes included emerging trends in trauma-informed care, advances in forensic assessment, and strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration."

‍👩‍⚕️"It was a privilege to be asked to speak on the state round up question panel to represent Victoria which focused on what each state is currently doing to respond to domestic family violence."