R. Christopher O'Brien, Ph.D.

R. Christopher O'Brien Headshot
Associate Professor

Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences Department
Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences
Education

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

About Christopher

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.

Recently Published Articles

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.

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