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Ph.D., University of Western Australia, 2008
H.D.R., University of Western Australia, 2004
M.F.S., National University, 2001
B.A., University of Florida, 1998
Dr. O'Brien's research interests include forensic animal necrophagy with associated taphonomy and wildlife forensics (morphology). He currently serves on the Scientific Working Group for Wildlife Forensics (SWGWILD) and is the director of the Center For Wildlife Research.
Essarras, A, Dadour, I.R., O’Brien, R.C, Magni, P.A. (2021) A preliminary investigation of insect succession patterns on decomposing carrion on Rottnest Island (WA), Journal of Clinical and Health Sciences, Accepted
Jankowski, L.M., O’Brien, R.C. (2021) Elemental Analysis for Differentiation of Wild Caught and Farm Raised Salmon, Forensic Science International: Animals and Environments, Submitted
Strand, J., Hamlin, B., Burnham-Curtis, M., Meredith, E., O’Brien, R.C., San Pietro, D. (2021) Construction of a Reference Allelic Ladder for an Odocoileus STR Multiplex, Forensic Science International: Animals and Environments, Submitted
O’Brien, R.C., Appleton, A.J., Forbes, S.L. (2017) Comparison of Taphonomic Effects due to the Necrophagic Activity of Geographically Disparate Scavenging Guilds, Canadian Journal of Forensic Sciences Vol. 50, Number 1, p. 42-53.
King, K., Lord, W. D., Ketchum, H. R., O’Brien, R. C. (2016) Postmortem scavenging by the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana): Impact on taphonomic assemblages and progression, Forensic Science International Vol. 266, p. 576.
Appleton, A., O’Brien, R., and Trail, P. (2016) Species Identification of Golden and Bald Eagle Talons Using Morphometrics, Journal of Raptor Research Vol. 50, Number 1, p. 76-83.
King, K., Lord, W. D., Ketchum, H. R., O’Brien, R. C. (2015) Facultative Scavenging and Carrion Guild Participation by Lynx rufus in the Presence of Young, The Southwestern Naturalist Vol. 60, Issue 4, p. 381-385.
Buis, R. C., McLeish, S., Devine, R., O’Brien, R. C., Forbes, S. L. (2014) Recovering fingerprints from skin: The viability of iodine silver plate transfer and α-Napthaflavone under environmental and taphonomic conditions, Identification Canada, Vol. 37, Number 1, p. 4-28.
Lowe, A. C., Beresford, D. V., Carter, D. O., Gaspari, F., O'Brien, R. C., and Forbes,
S. L. (2013) Ground penetrating radar use in three contrasting soil textures in southern
Ontario, Geological Society, London, Special Publications, Environmental and Criminal
Geoforensics, p. 384.
Lowe, A. C., Beresford, D. V., Carter, D. O., Gaspari, F., O'Brien, R. C., Stuart,
B. H., and Forbes, S. L. (2013) The effect of soil texture on the degradation of textiles
associated with buried bodies, Forensic Science International, Vol. 231, p. 331-339.
Howes, J. M., Stuart, B. H., Thomas, P. S., Raja, S., and O'Brien, C. (2012) An investigation
of model forensic bone in soil environments studied using infrared spectroscopy, Journal
of Forensic Sciences, Vol. 57, Issue 5, p. 1161-1167.
Dillane, S., Thompson, M., Meyer, J., Norquay, M. and O'Brien R. C. (2011) Inductively
coupled plasma ' atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) as a method of species differentiation
of bone fragments, Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences, Vol. 43, Issue 4, p. 297-312.
Cassar, J., Stuart, B., Dent, B., Notter, S., Forbes, S., O'Brien, C. and Dadour,
I. (2011) A study of adipocere in soil collected from a field leaching study, Australian
Journal of Forensic Sciences, Vol. 43, Issue 1, p. 3-11.
Raja, S., Stuart, B.H., Thomas, P.S., and O'Brien, C. (2010) Pyrolysis gas chromatography
' mass spectrometry analysis for the estimation of pig bone age, Acta Medicinae Legalis
et Socialis.
O'Brien, R.C., Larcombe, A., Meyer, J., Forbes, S.L., and Dadour, I.R. (2010) The
scavenging behaviour of the Australian Raven (Corvus coronoides): Patterns and influencing
factors, Sylvia, 46: 133-148.
O'Brien, R.C., Forbes, S.L., Meyer, J., and Dadour I.R. (2010) Forensically significant
scavenging guilds in the southwest of Western Australia, Forensic Science International,
Vol. 198, Issue 1, p. 85-91.
Raja, S., Thomas, P., Stuart, B., Guerbois, J.P., and O'Brien, C. (2009) The estimation
of pig bone age for forensic application using thermogravimetric analysis. Journal
of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry, Vol. 98 p. 173-176.
O'Brien, R.C., Forbes, S.L., Meyer, J., and Dadour I.R. (2007) A preliminary investigation
of the scavenging activity on pig carcasses in Western Australia. Forensic Science,
Medicine and Pathology, Vol. 3, Issue 3, p. 194-199.
In the Media
Chris O’Brien, associate professor of forensic science, talks about the project of training rats to find human remains. Students Sarah Pietce and Kathleen Gonzalez are participating in the project.
In the Media
Chris O’Brien, associate professor of forensic science, talks about his program of training rats to locate bodies in a disaster, such as a building collapse.
In the Media
Chris O’Brien, associate professor of forensic science, talks about how police and forensic scientists may be able to determine the skeletal remains found in a garage.
The Charger Blog
Three students visited the Caribbean island this summer, conducting research as part of their Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship projects and networking with scientists from around the world.