The Analytical Zen Podcast cover art

The Analytical Zen Podcast

The Analytical Zen Podcast

By: Geraldine M. Dowling
Listen for free

About this listen

Biography and Research: See Orcid.org/0000-0001-8344-6582 (presenting 100+ academic works)

Dr. Geraldine M. Dowling SFHEA is an accomplished professional with over 20 years experience in forensic, analytical toxicology, food safety, drug residue testing, method validation, ISO17025 laboratory accreditation and more than 10 years experience in academia as an educator. She is an internationally recognised researcher. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), awarded for excellence in teaching/research/leadership within higher education reflecting extensive experience and significant contributions to improving educational practices, research, mentoring professionals and enhancing the overall quality of teaching and learning in academic settings and in industry.

She is the creator and host of The Analytical Zen Podcast, an educational series designed to make complex scientific concepts accessible to both students and the general public (available on Spotify etc).

Dr. Dowling is currently elected Vice Chair (past Treasurer) of the United Kingdom and Ireland Association of Forensic Toxicologists (body represents forensic toxicology professionals in England, Ireland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland and the Channel Islands). She is the International Association of Forensic Toxicologists elected regional representative for Ireland, a member of the Society of Forensic Toxicologists in America and elected member of the London Toxicology Group Committee. She has extensive experience in working/training professional staff and students in ISO17025 accredited national government laboratories in Ireland, including The State Laboratory, Teagasc, The National Dairy Science Laboratory, The Irish Equine Centre and The Marine Institute. She is a Principal Investigator supervising postgraduate students (PhD/MSc). Her research interests focus on analytical chemistry, lab accreditation, forensic science, forensic/clinical toxicology, metabolomics, medicine, flavoromics, food safety and education pedagogies.

Dr. Dowling was invited to give her expertise to a Irish Government working group titled the “Emerging Drug Trends and Drug Checking Working Group.” This government-supported initiative aim was to introduce safer, more informed approaches particularly through harm-reduction strategies rather than punitive or enforcement only methods.

Dr. Dowling is a contributing author, reviewer and editor across selected international journals eg Drug Testing and Analysis, Journal of Analytical Toxicology, Forensic Science Review, Journal of Forensic Research, Frontiers in Molecular Physiology etc. In addition, she has written, edited/co-authored four books.

Dr. Dowling is the Editor-in-Chief of The Gazette, the official publication of the International Alliance of Clinical and Forensic Toxicologists (ISSN: 3088-6600), as well as the Editor-in-Chief of the Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal (ISSN: 2990-8167).

She is a Visiting Professor in the Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Exact Sciences at the National University of La Plata, Argentina; a Visiting Senior Lecturer at King’s College London, UK; and an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the Cameron Forensic Medical Sciences Unit, Queen Mary University of London, UK. Previously she was an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.

Dr. Dowling’s work has had a lasting impact, with government agencies such as Ireland’s Marine Institute using her methods in aquaculture monitoring since 2006 and internationally the U.S. FDA adopting her research for monitoring non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs since 2011. This research continues to be applied and is still in use in 2025.

Please see Linkedln profile:

www.linkedin.com/in/geraldine-dowling-msc-pgdip-phd-sfhea-2b66b835


© 2025 The Analytical Zen Podcast
Episodes
  • Bones Tell Stories: The Reach of Forensic Anthropology
    Sep 2 2025

    Send us a text

    In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Tania Delabarde, leading forensic anthropologist at the Institute of Legal Medicine in Paris, where she has been instrumental since 2013 in the identification of unidentified bodies and coordination of Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) protocols.

    Dr. Delabarde’s career spans some of the world’s most complex humanitarian and post-conflict contexts, from her early work with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and the UN Mission in Kosovo, to missions across South America and Africa. Since 2011, she has also worked for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the Ivory Coast, Mali, Burundi, Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia and the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Congo and Central African Republic.

    A long-time contributor to INTERPOL’s DVI Working Group, Dr. Delabarde brings a rare blend of field experience and scientific depth to the challenges of forensic identification.

    We also explore her cutting-edge research with the CNRS BABEL UMR8045 team, where she investigates:
    🦴 Skeletal markers for identification
    🦴 Bone lesions through histological analysis
    🦴 Bone diagenesis and postmortem change

    Join us for a conversation at the intersection of science, justice and humanity with one of the most respected voices in forensic anthropology today.

    Show More Show Less
    28 mins
  • Cat and Mouse: How Toxicologists Chase Ever-Evolving Designer Drugs
    Aug 5 2025

    Send us a text

    In this compelling episode, Dr. Kayla Ellefsen—Deputy Chief Toxicologist at the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office in Austin, Texas, United States-offers a rare look into the science of forensic toxicology and its critical role in death investigations. She dismantles Hollywood myths about quick test results and flashy labs, revealing the meticulous process toxicologists follow to identify substances in postmortem samples and determine their role in a person's death.

    The conversation takes a deeper turn into one of the most urgent challenges facing toxicologists today: Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS). These synthetic compounds are designed to imitate known illicit drugs while evading laws and standard detection methods. Dr. Ellefsen describes the evolving “cat-and-mouse” game between underground chemists and forensic labs, and how advanced tools like high-resolution mass spectrometry are crucial.

    A particularly alarming trend she highlights is the rise of bromazolam, a designer benzodiazepine. Even more concerning is the emergence of “benzodope”—the deadly mix of benzodiazepines and synthetic opioids.

    Dr. Ellefsen closes with a strong message: researchers must share data on NPS to build a clearer picture of the threat and support the development of harm reduction tools.

    Whether you're curious about forensic science, concerned about public health, or trying to understand today’s shifting drug landscape, this episode delivers critical insight into a field on the front lines of modern substance misuse.

    Show More Show Less
    21 mins
  • The Zinc Connection: The Pancreas, Diabetes and Beyond
    May 19 2025

    Send us a text

    In this episode, we explore the connection between zinc and diabetes, focusing on functions of zinc in the pancreas and for blood glucose control. Using animal models of obesity and prediabetes, researchers investigated how mild zinc deficiency—similar to levels potentially seen in humans—affects the pancreas and regulation of blood glucose. The study found that a 30% reduction in pancreatic zinc led to enlarged pancreatic islets and poorer blood glucose control, especially during glucose tolerance tests. These findings highlight the significant impact even marginal zinc deficiency can have on the development and progression of type 2 diabetes. However, zinc supplements are not warranted unless someone is deficient in zinc.

    Show More Show Less
    24 mins
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.