Clinical Laboratory (Testing / Safety) Expert Witnesses: 5

Alireza Abbaspourrad, PhD, is a Yongkeun Joh Assistant Professor of Food Chemistry and Ingredient Technology in the Department of Food Science at Cornell University. He trained at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, specializing in Engineering Soft Materials at Liquid-Liquid Interfaces using Microfluidics.

Dr. Abbaspourrad's lab is sponsored by such companies and institutions as Coca-Cola, DouxMatok, Tate & Lyle, National Dairy Association (NDA), Nestle, Smuckers, nanoScience, PepsiCo, Sensient, and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) among others.

With 22 United States patents to his name and more than 195 peer reviewed scientific papers, Dr. Abbaspourrad's research is focused on Structural Emulsions and Encapsulation Technologies, including:

• The rational design and synthesis of emulsions to fabricate multi-compartment emulsion-based vehicles for regulating lipid digestion and bioavailability.
• The molecular and physical factors that impact bioavailability and stability of lipid and lipophilic food ingredients and develop effective emulsion-based systems and encapsulation technologies to enhance ingredient stability within food matrix.

Video: Capsule Membrane Undergoing a Solidliquid Phase Transition to Release Contents 

Litigation Support - Dr. Abbaspourrad offers expert witness services to attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant in all cases involving Materials Chemistry, Bioassays, and Food Chemistry and Technology. His services include lab review, thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

Deborah E. Dickerson is an associate professor of Safety Engineering and Human Factors Engineering, and the Director of the Healthy Work Design Laboratory in the Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA.  

Dr. Dickerson holds an MS and PhD degrees in safety engineering and the certified safety professional (CSP), certified industrial hygienist (CIH), and certified hazardous materials manager (CHMM) credentials. She has over 25 years of experience in the fields of industrial hygiene and safety engineering: conducting investigations and designing safe work systems.  

 Dr. Dickerson led a compliance organization responsible for conducting investigations and ensuring compliance with safety and health standards (OSHA and EPA). She has 21 years of university teaching experience and has taught courses on occupational safety, industrial hygiene, risk control, and human factors engineering. Her expertise is in the control of occupational health hazards and Prevention through Design.  Prevention through Design (PtD) emphasizes the elimination of hazards associated with the design of equipment, tools, materials, and systems.  

Dr. Dickerson has been involved in Prevention through Design efforts at the national level and has served on an advisory committee of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) concerning the development of PtD initiatives. She is the author of a textbook chapter on the subject in the Handbook of Industrial and Systems Engineering. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Dickerson provides expert witness services to attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant. Her services include on-site investigation, thorough reporting, deposition, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

EXPERTISE IN: 1. The pathobiology, clinico-pathologic correlation, and histopathologic diagnosis of: diseases of the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon, rectum, anus, liver, and pancreas. 2. Human neoplasms (cancer) and preneoplastic conditions. 3. Establishing standard of care, causation and cause of death. 

BACKGROUND: 1. Anatomic Pathology Residency: Washington Univ-Barnes Hospital 1991-94. 2. Oncologic Pathology Fellowship: M.D. Anderson Cancer Center 1994-95. 3. Gastrointestinal and Liver Pathology Fellowship: Harvard-Brigham & Womens Hospital 1995-96. 4. Instructor at Harvard Medical School: 1996-1998. 5. Assistant Professor and Director of Gastrointestinal Pathology Division at UT-Health Science Center-Hermann Hospital, Houston Medical Center: 08/1998 - 12/2000. 6. Staff GI Pathologist and Quality Assurance Director at Caris/Miraca Life Sciences, Dallas TX: 01/2001 - 04/2012. 7. Staff Pathologist, Anatomic Pathology Division of the North Shore-LIJ Health System, Long Island NY: 05/2013 - 05/2015. 8. Staff Pathologist, Anatomic Pathology Division of Alliance Health Sciences, Dallas TX: 01/2016 - present. 9. Sole Proprietor of Expert Pathology Consultation Services Laboratory since 01/2001, which provides diagnostic pathology services to hundreds of clinicians of different subspecialties.         

Dr. Torres was instrumental in creating a unique model of Gastrointestinal Pathology subspecialty-focused laboratory, during his tenure at Caris/Miraca Life Sciences.

Brett Pond, PhD, PE, CWI, has over 16 years of experience as a Mechanical Engineering and Metallurgical consultant specializing in Forensic Metallurgy (failure analysis).  He has a strong background in the rail industry, having participated in hundreds of derailment investigations and rail related failure analyses. 

Dr. Pond obtained his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, has Professional Engineering (PE) licensure in 48 states, and is an AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI).  He is an active member of ASM International, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), and American Welding Society (AWS), and the National Academy of Forensic Engineers (NAFE).

Dr. Pond has earned international recognition for his failure analysis capabilities and has given technical presentations at multiple Failure Analysis Forums hosted in Shanghai, China. He has a wide range of experience, including: API Fitness for Service (FFS) Evaluations, field testing, mechanical / metallurgical laboratory management, legal expert witness services, and failure analysis for Rail, Food, Manufacturing, Oil and Gas, Medical, and Transportation industries. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Pond has provided unbiased mechanical engineering and metallurgical guidance to clients and legal counsel for over 15 years. Having been involved in dozens of legal cases and retained as a lead investigator or expert witness for several of those cases, Dr. Pond is an excellent choice for a mechanical engineering or metallurgical expert witness.

Having managed a mechanical / metallurgical testing laboratory for a leading global testing and inspection company, Dr. Pond is well versed in materials testing, application of domestic and international test standards, and weld / welder qualification testing.  

Areas of Expertise: 

View Pond Industries' Business Consulting Profile.

George Schiro is a DNA Technical Leader - Forensic Scientist. His duties include incorporating the DNA Advisory Board (DAB) standards, accountability for the technical operations of the lab, conducting DNA analysis using the 13 STR core loci and Y STR in casework, DNA research, forensic science training and crime scene investigation.

Mr. Schiro has worked over 3500 cases and has qualified as an expert over 175 times in 31 Louisiana parish courts, Arkansas, California, Florida, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Texas, West Virginia, federal court, U.S. court-martial, and two Louisiana city courts. Has also consulted on cases in 29 states.

Qualified as an Expert in the Following Areas: