Beyond Death by Anubix®

In this episode hosts Mark and Lindsay have a wide-ranging conversation with Professor Jason Payne-James where they explore his career in forensic and legal medicine, from his early surgical training to his pivotal role as a medical examiner. He discusses the importance of post-mortem CT, tackling miscarriages of justice, and the emotional and ethical challenges of working in the "death space."
 
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Jason Payne-James is a  Specialist in Forensic & Legal Medicine and a Consultant Forensic Physician. Interests are broad-ranging include documentation and interpretation of injury; evidential sampling;  wound and scar interpretation; complaints against healthcare professionals; sexual assault; non-accidental injury; intimate partner violence; non-fatal strangulation;  restraint and less-lethal systems; miscarriages of justice; healthcare in detention; cause of death; death investigation; medical negligence; death and harm in custody; substance use; human rights abuses and torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.
He is Honorary Clinical Professor, William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London; Chair of the UK Scientific Advisory Committee on the Medical Implications of Less-Lethal weapons (SACMILL); member of the Specialist Advisory Committee of the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board on forensic & legal medicine; President of the European Council of Legal & Forensic Medicine. He is director of Forensic Healthcare Services Ltd.
He is past-President of the Faculty of Forensic & Legal Medicine  and past-President of the International Association of Clinical Forensic Medicine. He was founding editor-in-chief of the Journal of Forensic & Legal Medicine. He was  Lead Medical Examiner at the Norfolk & Norwich Hospitals University NHS Trust.
He has co-authored or co-edited (amongst others) the Encyclopedia of Forensic & Legal Medicine (1st, 2nd and 3rd editions); the 13th, 14th and 15th editions of Simpson’s Forensic Medicine, Current Practice in Forensic Medicine (1st, 2nd  and 3rd editions); The Medical Examiner System in England & Wales: A Practical Guide; Symptoms & Signs of Substance Use (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th editions) and Forensic & Legal Medicine: Clinical & Pathological Aspects. His medicolegal practice extends across the UK and internationally.
 

This month, we present the following article:
Alafer F. Emerging Imaging Technologies in Forensic Medicine: A Systematic Review of Innovations, Ethical Challenges, and Future Directions. Diagnostics. 2025;15(11):1410. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics15111410.
This systematic review explores how cutting-edge imaging modalities—such as virtual autopsies and AI-powered diagnostics—are reshaping forensic medicine. While offering greater precision and cultural sensitivity, these technologies raise complex ethical, financial, and operational challenges that must be addressed to ensure global adoption.
NB. Each episode is AI-generated using Google Notebook LM. The article(s) and sources are chosen by Drs. Susan Shelmerdine & Natasha Davendralingam based on quality of research, audience interest, and importance of the topic.

In this episode of Beyond Death, host Dr Susie Shelmerdine speaks with Jessica Eaton, a children’s radiographer and PhD researcher, about the hidden world of forensic imaging in living children. Jess shares her experiences balancing paediatric radiography with complex safeguarding cases, the emotional toll on staff, and her pioneering research into how caregivers and radiographers experience this delicate and often overlooked process.
 
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Jessica Eaton is a specialist paediatric radiographer with over 10 years of hands-on experience in clinical imaging. She’s currently pursuing a PhD funded by the National Institute for Health Research, where she’s exploring how forensic imaging can be improved to better support caregivers and the radiographers who care for them.
 

This month, we present the following article:
Mittendorf AF et al. Fatal and nonfatal sharp force injuries to the limbs: a study of forensic autopsies in Sweden (2010-2019) International Journal of Legal Medicine 2025. doi:10.1007/s00414-025-03554-7
This study analysed over 800 forensic autopsy cases involving sharp force trauma to the arms and legs. The research sheds light on how injury patterns and severity—particularly in the forearms and wrists—can help distinguish suicides from homicides, and how factors like intoxication and age play a role in understanding these deaths.
NB. Each episode is AI-generated using Google Notebook LM. The article(s) and sources are chosen by Drs. Susan Shelmerdine & Natasha Davendralingam based on quality of research, audience interest, and importance of the topic.

In this episode of Beyond Death, hosts Mark and Lindsay talk with Dr. Athanasia "Nancy" Vargiamidou, consultant histopathologist, about her lifelong dedication to pathology and post-mortem medicine. Nancy shares her journey from medical student to specialist in autopsy services, reflecting on the critical balance between scientific rigor and empathetic care when uncovering causes of death.
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Athanasia Vargiamidou Biography
I graduated with a medical degree from King’s College London in 2009, having previously obtained a Bachelor of Science in Experimental Pathology from Queen Mary University of London in 2005. My specialty training in histopathology commenced at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital and was completed at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London. In 2017, I obtained the Certificate of Higher Autopsy Training and hold a Postgraduate Certificate in Forensic Medical Sciences awarded by the Academy of Forensic Medical Sciences, as well as a Leadership and Management qualification in the Medical Field from Keele University.
Since 2017, I have been practicing as a Consultant Histopathologist specialising in breast pathology, urological pathology, and autopsy pathology. From 2017 to 2023, I was employed at St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, where I served as the Clinical Lead for the Mortuary and the Designated Individual for the Human Tissue Authority (post-mortem sector).
In 2023, I joined University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as a Consultant Histopathologist. I currently hold the roles of Clinical Governance Lead for Cellular Pathology, Deputy Designated Individual for the Human Tissue Authority (post-mortem sector), and Deputy Clinical Safety Lead for Digital Pathology.
I have conducted autopsies throughout my training and continue to do so in my consultant roles. I am presently engaged as an autopsy pathologist for Anubix, the Inner West London Coroner, and the North London Coroner.

This month, we present the following article:
A study of the added value of combining PMCT and PMMR of the head.Forensic Imaging. 2024; 33: 200022. doi: 10.1016/j.fri.2024.200022Ingrid I.H. Haest a
This retrospective study evaluates the impact of combining postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) and postmortem magnetic resonance imaging (PMMR) of the head in forensic investigations. The findings suggest that integrating PMMR with PMCT enhances lesion detection, particularly in soft tissue structures, thereby improving diagnostic accuracy in determining causes of death.
 
NB. Each episode is AI-generated using Google Notebook LM. The article(s) and sources are chosen by Drs. Susan Shelmerdine & Natasha Davendralingam based on quality of research, audience interest, and importance of the topic.

In this episode of Beyond Death, hosts Mark and Lindsay speak with Danielle Sharp, founder of the Centre for Safer Society, about her groundbreaking work leading domestic abuse-related death reviews. Danielle shares how these reviews uncover vital lessons from tragic cases, the evolving scope beyond homicides to include suicides and unexplained deaths, and the emotional toll on professionals involved in the process.
 
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Danielle has over 15 years’ experience in preventing and responding to violence, abuse, and harm. She has held senior roles in local authorities as a strategic lead and commissioner, managing multi-million-pound budgets for domestic abuse services. Nationally, she led the Knowledge Hub at one of the UK’s largest domestic abuse charities, overseeing an expert team and several national programmes including the Leading Lights service accreditation and the Home Office funded One Front Door pilot.
 
She has worked extensively to improve responses to sexual exploitation and abuse including through her previous role as an Associate for Safe and Sound, in which she trained thousands of professionals and led participatory research with young people to review a children’s social care strategy process for a City council. She is currently the Founder and Director of Centre for Safer Society, through which she undertakes research, strategy and scrutiny projects, including statutory Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews. 
 
She has a BSc in Psychology from the University of West London and has been appointed as a Practitioner in Residence within the School of Policy & Global Affairs at London City St Georges University where she will work to bridge the gap between academia and policy to create change. 

This month, we present the following article:
Solomon N, Gascho D, Adolphi NL, Filograna L, Sanchez H, Gill JR, Elifritz J. The evolution of postmortem investigation: a historical perspective on autopsy’s decline and imaging’s role in its revival. Frontiers in Radiology. 2025;5:1565012. doi: 10.3389/fradi.2025.1565012.
This episode delves into the decline of traditional autopsy and the growing role of postmortem imaging (PMI) in forensic medicine. The authors trace the history of death investigation, highlight the diagnostic value of imaging tools like PMCT, and argue for integrated approaches to improve public health, preserve clinical accuracy, and support the overstretched forensic pathology workforce.
NB. Each episode is AI-generated using Google Notebook LM. The article(s) and sources are chosen by Drs. Susan Shelmerdine & Natasha Davendralingam based on quality of research, audience interest, and importance of the topic.

To mark 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 🎂 of the #BeyondDeath podcast, we’re celebrating with a special compilation episode: 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬 & 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲.
 
Every guest this year has answered the same final question:
👉 “𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐛, 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲, 𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧?” 👈
Their answers have been thought-provoking, surprising, and sometimes funny — offering a window into the misunderstood world of death investigation, care, and law.
Join us in celebrating a year of truth-telling, myth-busting, and elevating voices in the death care field.
 
Thank you to our hosts: David Annan Asanda K Lindsay Batty-Smith Dr Mark Viner and to the guests featuring in this special episode Dr Mark Viner Lindsay Batty-Smith Imogen Jones @Richard Byers J. Ciaran Hutchinson @Padma Rao Jelena Bekvalac Angie McLachlan MA, BA Hons, MBIE, Dip MoD @Alison Mutch Keiran Kelly Charlotte John Poppy Mardall Kerry Daynes @Rachel Duncan Natasha Davendralingam Julie Bramble FHEA MSc Amy-Lee Brookes Fabrice DEDOUIT

In this episode of Beyond Death, Prof Susie Shelmerdine speaks with Dr. Natasha Davendralingham about the path to specialising in post-mortem imaging. Natasha shares her journey from medical student to expert radiologist, the challenges of training in this niche field, and the importance of hands-on experience. She also discusses the growing demand for post-mortem imaging, the need for structured education, and why this work is vital for both forensic investigations and bereaved families seeking answers.