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Division of Forensic Medicine​

Research
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Main fields of Research

  • Sudden and unexpected death in infants.
  • Forensic radiology and imaging.
  • Gender-based violence and femicide.
  • Epidemiology in forensic medicine.
  • Quality improvement in forensic medicine.
  • Innovative technology use in forensic medicine.

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  1. Mould-Millman NK, Wogu AF, Fosdick BK, Dixon JM, Beaty BL, Bhaumik S, et al. (Verster J). Association of freeze-dried plasma with 24-hour mortality among trauma patients at risk for haemorrhage. Transfusion. 2024 May;64 Suppl 2:S155-S166. doi: 10.1111/trf.17792.

  2. ​Goussard P, Eber E, Venkatakrishna SSB, Janson J, Schubert PT, Ebert L, et al. (Verster J). Cryoprobe for endoscopic enucleation in children with pulmonary tuberculosis: Effective but not without danger – case report and review of literature. Respiration. 2024;103(8):513-520. doi: 10.1159/000539076.

  3. Smith Z, de Bruin E, Mentoor I, Verster J. Flaring up the mesentery: Applying the LODOX eXero-DR® StatScan for expedited post-mortem angiography. Forensic Imaging. 2024;39:200614. doi: 10.1016/j.fri.2024.200614.

  4. Dixon J, de Vries S, Fleischer C, Bhaumik S, Dymond C, Jones A, et al. (Verster J). Preventable trauma deaths in the Western Cape of South Africa: A consensus-based panel review. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2024 May 10;4(5):e0003122. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0003122.

  5. Goussard P, Eber E, Janson J, Gie AG, Fourie B, Jacobs CM, et al. PTB airway compression complicated by vascular abnormalities and cardiac involvement: A case series demonstrating diagnosis and management. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2025 Jan;60(1):e27351. doi: 10.1002/ppul.27351.

  6. Goussard P, Gie A, Venkatakrishna S, Andronikou S, Ebert L, Verster J, et al. Mucoepidermoid bronchial tumour in a child masquerading as tuberculosis. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2024 Jul;59(7):2026-2030. doi: 10.1002/ppul.27021.

  1. Mould-Millman NK, Dixon JM, Lategan HJ, et al. Feasibility of conducting a military-relevant multicenter cohort study to assess outcomes of early trauma resuscitative interventions in a prolonged care civilian setting. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2023;95(2S Suppl 1):S88–S98. doi: 10.1097/TA.0000000000004066.
  2. Goussard P, van der Westhuizen S, Fourie B, et al. (Verster J). Double aortic arch with an aberrant left superior pulmonary vein in a young child presenting with pneumomediastinum. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2023;58(9):2659-2662. doi: 10.1002/ppul.26544.
  3. Goussard P, Verster J, Ebert L, et al. Tuberculosis of the trachea in a child: Value of 3D segmentation. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2023;58(6):1824-1827. doi: 10.1002/ppul.26389.
  4. Uren GA, Mentoor I, Prinsloo M, Dempers JJ, Verster J. An investigation into the profile and temporal evolution of firearm-related fatalities at Tygerberg Forensic Pathology Laboratory. J Forensic Leg Med. 2023;96:102529. doi: 10.1016/j.jflm.2023.102529.

  1. Goussard P, Shubert P, Parker NM, Myburgh C, Rabie H, Van der Zalm MM, Van Zyl GU, Preiser W, Maponga TG, Verster J, Gie AG, Andronikou S. Fatal SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a young infant: Autopsy findings. Acad Pediatr. 2022;57(5):1363-1365. doi: 10.1002/ppul.25881.
  2. Mould-Millman NK, Baidwan NK, Beaty B, Suresh K, Dixon JM, Patel C, et al. (Verster J). Prolonged casualty care: Extrapolating civilian data to the military context. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2022 Aug 1;93:S78-S85. doi: 10.1097/TA.0000000000003675.
  3. Rhame C, Verster J, Dempers J, Goussard P. Obstructive fibrinous tracheal pseudomembrane: Sudden child death following laser removal of papillomata. Clin Case Rep. 2022 Feb 10;10(2):e05346. doi: 10.1002/ccr3.5346.
  4. Suresh K, Dixon JM, Patel C, et al. (Verster J). The epidemiology and outcomes of prolonged trauma care (EpiC) study: Methodology of a prospective multicenter observational study in the Western Cape of South Africa. Scand J Trauma, Resusc Emerg Med. 2022 Oct;30(1):55. doi: 10.1186/s13049-022-01041-1.
  5. Verster J, Loftus I. General principles and analysis of mechanical trauma. In: Houck MM, editor. Encyclopedia of Forensic Sciences. 3rd ed. Vol. 3. Oxford: Elsevier; 2023. p. 10–30.

  1. De Beer C, Ayele BT, Dempers JJ. Immune biomarkers as an adjunct diagnostic modality of infection in cases of sudden and unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) at Tygerberg Medicolegal Mortuary, Cape Town, South Africa. Human Pathology: Case Reports. 2021;23:200477. doi: 10.1016/j.ehpc.2021.200477.
  2. Kelly JF, Faull A, Dissel A, Simelane B, Martin L, Dempers J, et al. Murder in the Western Cape's high-violence areas during the first COVID-19 lockdown. Acta Criminol Afr J Criminol Victimol. 2022;34(3):118–38.
  3. Osman M, Verster J, Dempers JJ, Du Preez K, von Delft A, Dunbar R, Welte A, Naidoo P, Hesseling AC. Tuberculosis in persons with sudden unexpected death, in Cape Town, South Africa. Int J Infect Dis. 2021;105:75-82. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2021.02.036.
  4. Schweitzer W, Verster J, Aldomar E, Ebert LC, Bolliger SA, Thali MJ, Ampanozi G. Forensic volumetric visualisation of gunshot residue in its anatomic context in forensic post mortem computed tomography: Development of transfer function preset. Forensic Imaging. 2021;25:1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.fri.2021.200451.
  5. Vivekanandarajah A, Nelson ME, Kinney HC, Elliott AJ, Folkerth RD, Tran H, et al. (Dempers JJ). Nicotinic Receptors in the Brainstem Ascending Arousal System in SIDS With Analysis of Prenatal Exposures to Maternal Smoking and Alcohol in High-Risk Populations of the Safe Passage Study. Front Neurol. 2021 Mar 10;12:636668. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2021.636668.
  6. Randall B, Nelson ME, Wilson A, Elliot AJ, Dempers JJ, et al. An epidemiologic analysis of SIDS and other deaths as part of the Safe Passage Study in the Northern Plains of the United States and the Western Cape of South Africa. Ann Public Health Res. 2021;8(2):1110.

  1. Groenewald P, Bradshaw D, Neethling I, Martin LJ, Dempers J, Morden E, Zinyakatira N, Coetzee D. Linking mortuary data improves vital statistics on cause of death of children under five years in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Trop Med Int Health. 2016;21(1):114-121. doi: 10.1111/tmi.12624.
  2. Elliot AJ, Kinney HC, Haynes RL, Dempers JJ, Wright CA, Fifer WP, et al. Concurrent prenatal drinking and smoking increases risk for SIDS: Safe Passage Study report. EClinicalMedicine. 2020. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2019.100247.​
  3. Nieuwoudt I, Goussard P, Verster J, Dempers JJ. Tonsillar hypertrophy and prolapse in a child – is epiglottitis a predisposing factor for sudden unexpected death? BMC Pediatr. 2020;20(1):22. doi: 10.1186/s12887-020-1927-3.2021.

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