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Clinical Activities

Keywords: Forensic Pathology

Description of Research Activities: I am the Medical Leader of the Autopsy Service and Director of the Regional Forensic Pathology Unit, Southwestern Ontario. We do autopsies, by consent from next-of-kin, on individuals who have died of disease processes, and we assist coroners’ investigations by performance of postmortem examinations. We do about 550 cases annually of which 400 are coroners’ cases.

In addition to my service commitments, I have administrative duties which include peer review of autopsy reports generated by my colleagues who do coroners’ cases.  I’m also actively involved in teaching. This includes weekly rounds for our staff and a forensic course offered to 4th year medical and BMSc students

Research Interests

Keywords: Forensic Pathology, Motor Vehicle Trauma

Description of Research Activities: Currently, I am a director of the Motor Vehicle Safety (MOVES) Research Team based in the Faculty of Medicine. The Team is funded by Transport Canada. It investigates certain types of motor vehicle collisions to assist Transport Canada in its research and to ensure that federal regulations are based on real world data. As medical consultant, I interpret injury mechanisms.

Selected Publications

1. Contributing factors to methadone-related deaths in Ontario. Albion C. Shkrum M. Cairns J. Accepted for publication in the Am J  Forensic Med Pathol
2. Driver and front seat passenger fatalities associated with air bag deployment. Part 1: a Canadian study. Shkrum M et al. J Forensic Sci 47: 1028-1034, 2002.
3. Driver and front seat passenger fatalities associated with air bag deployment. Part 2: a review of injury patterns and investigative issues. Shkrum M et al. J Forensic Sci 47:1035-104, 2002..
4. Mechanisms of aortic injury in fatalities occurring in motor vehicle collisions. Shkrum M et al. J Forensic Sci 44: 44-56,1999.
5. Skull fracture in fatalities due to motor vehicle collisions. Shkrum M et al. J Forensic Sci 39: 107-`121, 1994