Advancing Research in Trace Evidence
“We believe in transforming ideas into research and research into meaningful solutions for our law enforcement, the criminal justice system, homeland security, and public safety.”
Explore Our Research“We believe in transforming ideas into research and research into meaningful solutions for our law enforcement, the criminal justice system, homeland security, and public safety.”
Explore Our ResearchOur research focuses on building capacity by developing innovative methods and interpretation models for more effective decision-making processes. Glass, paint, textiles, polymers, gunshot residues, counterfeits, and questioned documents are among the materials of interest in our team.
Dr. Trejos is an Associate Professor of the Department of Forensic and Investigative Sciences at West Virginia University, where she teaches forensic courses for the undergraduate, master's, and doctorate programs. Dr. Trejos believes in learning by doing and creating connections with real-world scenarios by bringing her forensic practitioner and law enforcement expertise to the classroom. Dr. Trejos' long-term research goal is to develop methods that enhance trace evidence's reliability and efficiency, providing valuable data to the criminal justice system and streamlined processes. Her research group focuses on building capacity and applying emerging methods to improve data quality and data usage. Dr. Trejos's main research includes applying statistics to evidence interpretation and the discovery of chemical signatures of forensic materials by spectrochemical methods, such as SEM-EDS, ICP-MS, Laser Ablation ICP-MS u-XRF, Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, and Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS and LC-MS). Glass, paints, polymers, inks, and gunshot residues are among the trace materials investigated in Dr. Trejos' laboratory. Dr. Trejos has received over $4 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Justice, the National Institute of Justice, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of State. Tatiana Trejos has authored 80 peer-reviewed scientific publications and book chapters in the field of forensic and analytical chemistry. Dr. Trejos has served as a program chair of scientific meetings and guest speaker at several venues worldwide. Dr. Trejos received the prestigious science and technology award "Clodomiro Picado Twight" from the Costa Rican National Academy of Sciences (2015), was listed on the Forensics Colleges' top 10 forensic chemistry professors and received the WVU Eberly College Outstanding Researcher Award (2020).
Tatiana has contributed to different scientific working groups. Tatiana is a member and technical contact of the ASTM E-30 committee and the NIST Chemistry/Instrumental Analysis Scientific Area Committee's (SAC's) Materials (Trace) Subcommittee within the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC). Within the NIST-OSAC organization, she has served as chair of the Research and Glass Working Groups, a member of the Interpretation and the Physical Fits Groups, and an affiliate of the Gunshot Residue Subcommittee. Tatiana has served in two NIST Scientific and Technical Review Panels (STRPs) for physical fits and gunshot residue. Tatiana's contributions include drafting discipline-specific standard guidelines and testing methods, identifying research and development needs in trace evidence, designing and leading interlaboratory studies, and developing plans for training, disseminating, and implementing consensus-based methods. Dr. Trejos is a Director of the American Society of Trace Evidence Examiners (ASTEE).