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Jacqui joined ASI in 2016, to work with Finance related matters but the role quickly expanded to include Customer Service and Governance. Her role continued to evolve overtime and she now leads the service as the Business Unit Director.

Jacqui started her career as a Qualified Radiographer in South Africa before relocating to the UK. She spent several years working within the National Health Service primarily in Clinical Governance and Project Management roles. As Project Lead she led the launch of the first London based Alcohol Recovery Centre which was a night time economy pilot to try reduce the impact of alcohol related cases /admissions on the ambulance service and A&Es. She later led the redesign and initiation of a night time drug and alcohol service at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington targeting patients when they were most likely to present.

She holds a NDip in Radiography and BSc (Honours) in Paramedic Science. She is currently a state registered Paramedic.

Jacqui is passionate about people, healthcare, and evolving sciences in Forensic Toxicology.

Dr Lewis Couchman joined ASI as Facility Director in 2017 to lead a team of scientists with a passion for developing novel analytical techniques, in particular those involving chromatography, mass spectrometry, and automated and high throughput sample preparation. Prior to joining ASI, Lewis had worked at the Medical Toxicology Unit at Guy’s Hospital in London, completing his formal clinical scientist training in analytical toxicology in 2009, during which he obtained an MSc in Analytical Toxicology from Queen Mary University of London. He went on to work as a clinical scientist in the Departments of Toxicology and Clinical Biochemistry at King’s College Hospital, London, becoming Research and Development Lead Scientist in 2015 and completing his PhD the following year.

A regular presenter at national and international scientific meetings, Lewis is on the Young Scientist Committee of the International Association of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and Clinical Toxicology. Lewis is a committee member of the Royal Society of Chemistry Separation Science Group, a member of the International Association of Forensic Toxicology and the Association of Clinical Biochemistry, and a committee member of the London Toxicology Group. Lewis lectures regularly for undergraduate courses at the universities of Kingston and Loughborough, and is widely published. Lewis was appointed Research lead for ASI in 2022.

Atholl is one of our founding professors and ASI’s Science Director. He is President of the Clinical Contract Research Association, Professor Emeritus of Clinical Pharmacology at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry and Queen Mary University of London, and visiting Professor of Forensic Pharmacology and Toxicology at St George’s, University of London. Atholl’s research interests are drug discovery and abuse: drug quality, clinical trial design with statistical data analysis, modelling pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and optimising the use and benefits of drugs. With 40 years’ experience in the field, Atholl is well known for his scientific leadership and expert insight into drug discovery and design, the analysis of drug efficacy studies and trials, drug manufacturing quality, and contribution to the development of drug use and abuse legislation. In addition, Atholl frequently speaks on a variety of issues relating to pharmacokinetics and dynamics, drug quality and patient outcomes.

Atholl has written expert reports on drug use and abuse for submission to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and national drug regulatory agencies, including the MHRA (UK), EMA (EU), FDA (USA), TGA (Aus) and Health Canada. He regularly presents expert testimony in court on the influence of drugs in crime, driving impairment and cause of death at HM coroners’ inquests. Atholl has authored or co-authored over 300 peer-reviewed articles and contributed to several books by invitation.

Katie Lawlor joined ASI as a Lab Technician in 2019. She previously led the Admissions Team and Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Department, and since 2022 has been in-post as Laboratory Operations Manager. Prior to joining ASI, Katie obtained a MSc in Forensic Medical Sciences from Queen Mary University of London, and a BSc (Hons) in DNA and Forensic Analysis from Technological University of Dublin. Katie is currently undertaking a part-time PhD at Kings College London and has a special interest in rapid bioanalysis and separation sciences.

Katie is also an active member in the ChromSoc, London Toxicology Group and the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Gabbie joined as a Laboratory Technician in 2021, before progressing into an Analyst role and is now our Deputy Laboratory Operations Manager. Gabbie is also in training to become a Senior Toxicology Analyst which she will maintain alongside her operational role. Prior to ASI, Gabbie obtained a BSc (Hons) in Pharmacology from University of East Anglia and an MSc in Crime and Forensic Science from University College London. Gabbie is an active member of the London Toxicology Group.

Dr Hua Xu joined ASI in 2012 as an analyst and after a sabbatical in USA was promoted to Head of our Clinical Division in March 2021. Hua holds a BSc in chemistry from Beijing University in China and obtained her PhD in chemistry from the Johns Hopkins University, USA.

Hua leads the company’s clinical division that supports drug discovery and is responsible for all the activities related to clinical and pre-clinical research within the GLP/GCP regulatory framework. She has over 16 years of professional experience in analytical R&D in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries.

Gemma is our Deputy Head of Toxicology with over 10 years’ service. After working part-time at ASI during her graduate placement, Gemma completed her honours degree in forensic science and joined our toxicology team full-time in 2011. Gemma has developed a keen interest in our new analytical instrumentation and is heavily involved in developing novel assays and increasing our analytical libraries to enhance our forensic toxicology service.

Gemma is an active member of the London Toxicology Group.

John is a well-recognised expert in toxicology with over 40 years’ experience and joined ASI in 2014 as Senior Forensic Toxicologist. He began his career in 1974 at the Metropolitan Police Forensic Science Laboratory (MPFSL) – later known as the Forensic Science Service – where, apart from a brief hiatus to complete his honours degree in chemistry, he became a forensic toxicologist. John investigated a wide range of cases, including unexplained deaths, non-fatal poisonings, coroners, police and civil cases, and is well versed in presenting evidence in magistrates’, crown and coroners’ courts.

John is a member of both the Chartered Society of Forensic Science and the United Kingdom and Ireland Association of Forensic Toxicologists, and regularly attends events at the Medico-Legal Society, the Royal Society of Medicine, the British Academy of Forensic Sciences and the London Toxicology Group.

Hannah is one of our Reporting Forensic Toxicologist Team Leaders after joining our in-house Reporting Toxicologist Course in 2021. Prior to ASI, Hannah obtained both a BSc (Hons) and MSc degrees in Forensic Science from Kingston University and since joining us, has achieved the Bond Solon (CUBS) Expert Witness Criminal Certificate.

Hannah specialises in the analysis of drugs and alcohol in biological fluids, and the interpretation of findings. Her role involves the writing of reports for the purposes of road traffic toxicology cases; cause of death investigations for HM Coroners; and presenting evidence in court as Expert Witness.

Hannah is an active member of the London Toxicology Group.

Laura is one of our Reporting Forensic Toxicologist Team Leaders after joining our in-house Reporting Toxicologist Course in 2021. Prior to ASI, Laura worked in pharmaceutical research gaining analytical experience and holds a BSc (Hons) degree in Forensic Science and a Cardiff University Bond Solon Expert Witness Criminal Certificate.

Laura specialises in the analysis of drugs and alcohol in biological fluids, and the interpretation of findings. Her role involves the writing of reports for the purposes of road traffic toxicology cases; cause of death investigations for HM Coroners; and presenting evidence in court as Expert Witness.

Laura is an active member of the London Toxicology Group.