Beyond Death

Dr Imogen Jones on Death Investigations and the Law

In this episode, David speaks with Dr. Imogen Jones, an Associate Professor of Law from the University of Leeds, specialising in criminal law and medico-legal death investigations. Dr. Jones sheds light on the gaps between public perception and the reality of autopsies and medical death investigations, while also discussing the emotional labour involved in after-death care.
 
Her research into the hidden roles within the mortuary and her insights on digital transformation provide a fascinating look into how law, medicine, and technology converge.
 
If you’re curious about the legalities and ethical dimensions of death investigations, this episode is one you won’t want to miss.

Charlotte John on Death Care & Digital Change

Join us in this episode as David sits down with Charlotte John, an experienced healthcare professional with a fascinating journey from midwifery to Mortuary management and national audits with the Home Office. Charlotte shares her unique insights on working with end-of-life care, navigating grief, and the importance of after-death care. Her thoughts on digital transformation in the death space bring a fresh perspective on how we can improve healthcare for both the living and the deceased.
 
Don’t miss this captivating conversation about the vital, often hidden, work behind death care and how technology is shaping its future.

Angie McLachlan on The Ichabodies - Death Dummies

In this episode, David is joined by Angie McLachlan, the visionary behind the Ichabodies Death Dummies, a unique and creative approach to death education. Angie discusses her journey from working as an embalmer to becoming an educator, using highly realistic training dummies to help professionals better understand the complexities of body care and postmortem imaging.
 
Whether you’re a funeral director, death midwife, or someone interested in the deeper aspects of death care, Angie’s insights offer a rare glimpse into the hands-on training that prepares people for the emotional and physical realities of death. From handling complex conditions to navigating grief, her Ichabodies Death Dummies provide invaluable experience in this sensitive field.
 
Tune in to learn more about the intersection of art, science, and education in death care, and how Angie’s work is changing the way professionals engage with the end-of-life process.

Keiran Kelly discusses Setting up a PMCT Service

On their first time hosting on this channel, Lindsay and Mark talk to Keiran Kelly.
Keiran is currently the Post Mortem CT lead radiographer at the East London Forensic Centre where he has helped set up and run the service in a permanent, local authority managed facility.
Previously he has been employed as the paediatric lead radiographer at the Royal London hospital and as a senior radiographer at St Georges hospital, where he would undertake, lead and teach other radiographers on skeletal survey examinations for suspected physical abuse in children. He started his MSc in Forensic radiography at Teesside university whilst a radiographer at St Georges and has recently just graduated. Keiran also sits on the committee for the UK branch of the international association of forensic radiographers as well as offering his services in forensic radiography to Kenyon international emergency services when needed as one of their team members. His interests are Post Mortem CT, SPA, DVI as well as governance and audit.
Whether you’re curious about the future of forensic radiography or the day-to-day life of a radiographer in a mortuary, this episode provides an insightful look into an emerging field.

HMC Miss Mutch OBE on the role of a Coroner

In this episode, David and Asanda talk to HMC Miss Mutch OBE about the role of a senior coroner.
HMC Miss Mutch OBE is the senior coroner for the Greater Manchester South jurisdiction. In this podcast she explains to us what is the role of the coroner, what questions does the coroner need to satisfy regarding the death of an individual, what role does postmortem imaging play in this process and also what goes on during a coroner's inquest. 

Mohamed Omer MBE discusses Islamic Perspectives on Death

In this episode, David and Asanda talk to Mohamed Omer OBE about the beliefs, viewpoints and mindset regarding death and postmortem imaging from an Islamic perspective.
Mohamed Omer MBE has numerous roles on a wide range of enterprises. Most notable of these is his role as a board member for external affairs for the Gardens of Peace Muslim Cemetery, based in Hainault Essex. This is the largest dedicated Muslim Cemetery in Europe and has a capacity for > 10,000 graves and burials in accordance with Islamic Shariah. He is also a member of the Burial Cremation Advisory Group at the Ministry of Justice representing the Muslim Community and has been actively involved with community work in East London for the last 15 years.
 
In this episode he talks about the importance of his faith and how this relates to death investigations.

Prof Richard Byers on How a Pathologist Thinks

In this episode, hosts David and Asanda are joined by Professor Richard Byers, a renowned histopathologist and consultant hematopathologist at Manchester Royal Infirmary. Professor Byers shares his impressive journey, from his PhD in molecular biology to his contributions to post-mortem imaging and pathology.
Professor Byers also explores the future of pathology, discussing the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in diagnostics. He envisions AI as a valuable triage tool to streamline workflow and improve diagnostic accuracy, but he believes pathologists will remain essential for complex cases and integrated diagnostic reports.

Jelena Bekvalac on curating Human Remains in Museums

In this episode, David and Asanda talk to Jelena Bekvalac about excavating and curating human remains.
Jelena is has been based at the Museum of London since 2003, and was an original member of the research osteologist team with the establishment of the Wellcome funded Centre for Human Bioarchaeology. She has been involved in countless high profile excavations from across the world, working as a human osteologist to uncover the secrets of ancient civilizations. Jelena is a representative on a number of committees, frequently speaks at archaeological and historical societies and was in 2011 elected to be a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.

Lindsay Batty-Smith on Respecting the Deceased

In this episode David and Asanda talk to Lindsay Batty-Smith, a seasoned radiographer who has had several roles in the NHS and private sector including leadership positions in safeguarding adults, applying national policies, extensive teaching in diagnostic and forensic imaging and advancing the equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) agenda within healthcare. She is currently a public governor for an NHS foundation trust in London and keen on community engagement.

Dr Mark Viner on Forensic Imaging

In this episode, David and Asanda talk to Dr Mark Viner about postmortem and forensic imaging.
Mark is a senior lecturer in radiographic investigation in forensic science, based at Cranfield Forensic Institute and has had a very interesting and varied career. He was a founder board member of both the International Association of Forensic Radiographers (IAFR) and the International Society of Forensic Radiology and Imaging (ISFRI). He has also worked for the United Nations.