On Wednesday, September 23, Frank Sheridan, the Chief Medical Examiner of the San Bernardino County will give a guest lecture titled “The History of Forensic Science,” at the San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands. This 7:30 pm lecture is open to public and free of charge.

            Sheridan will trace the history of medico-legal death investigation from ancient times to the present, highlighting some notable examples from Babylonia and ancient Rome as well as the death investigation systems in medieval England and Sung Dynasty China which evolved into the coroner system of modern times. He will look at the major medical and legal advances in Renaissance and post-Renaissance Europe which formed the basis of contemporary forensic science and the history of forensic death investigation in the United States, including San Bernardino County. The talk will end with a brief discussion of the problems facing forensic science today and peek at possible future developments.

            Frank Sheridan is a forensic pathologist and has been the Chief Medical Examiner for San Bernardino County since 1991. He was born in Dublin, Ireland and obtained his medical degree from University College Dublin. After his internship, he worked for three years as a medical officer in Malawi, Central Africa. He spent the next several years studying and lecturing in pharmacology and population genetics in Ireland and the United States. This was followed by a residency in pathology, including three years at Loma Linda University Medical Center, two years at Los Angeles County U.S.C Medical Center, and a forensic pathology fellowship at the Coroner's Office in San Bernardino. As Chief Medical Examiner at the Coroner Division of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, Dr. Sheridan supervises the forensic autopsies for the county and has conducted over 6,000 autopsies. His other interests include hiking, amateur ornithology, and reading, especially science and history. He is also a volunteer at the San Bernardino County Museum.

The San Bernardino County Museum sponsors its guest lecture series to share current research by prominent researchers and scholars with the public. The San Bernardino County Museum is at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. Parking is free. For more information, visit www.sbcountymuseum.org.

The museum is accessible to persons with disabilities. If assistive listening devices or other auxiliary aids are needed in order to participate in museum exhibits or programs, requests should be made through Museum Visitor Services at least three business days prior to your visit. Visitor Services’ telephone number is 909-307-2669 ext. 229 or (TDD) 909-792-1462.