Episode 164 | Just the Impression and Pattern/Trace Evidence Portfolio

In episode two of our 2021 NIJ R&D and Beyond mini season, Just Science sat down with Dr. Gregory Dutton, a physical scientist in the Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences at the National Institute of Justice, to discuss NIJ’s Impression, Pattern, and Trace Evidence research portfolio.   

Between latent fingerprints, firearms, footwear, paint analysis, and much more, the NIJ Impression, Pattern, and Trace Evidence portfolio encompasses a diverse array of forensic disciplines. As the scientist who oversees this portfolio, Dr. Dutton is constantly encouraging innovative solutions to forensic problems. Listen along as he discusses developing quantitative methods of comparison, the importance of collaboration between researchers and forensic service providers, and the NIJ’s Impression, Pattern, and Trace Evidence research portfolio in this episode of Just Science. 

This episode of Just Science is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence [Award 2016-MU-BX-K110].

Original Release Date: June 11, 2021

2021 NIJ R&D Symposium Archive

Guest Bio

Gregory Dutton is a program manager in the Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences (OIFS) of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), managing portfolios in Forensic Science R&D and  Graduate Research Fellowships. Trained as an experimental physical chemist, he now works to bring advances from across the physical and life sciences into the forensic sciences.  His portfolio includes: imaging and pattern matching for Impression and Pattern Evidence (e.g., latent fingerprints, firearms, footwear); advanced spectroscopy and machine learning for Trace Evidence (e.g., paint, glass, fibers, gunshot residue); and trace microbiome analysis for forensic applications. Prior to joining NIJ, Greg was a research fellow at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) studying photovoltaic interfaces. He has a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Minnesota and a B.A. from Williams College.