Rebroadcast: Update for 9/11 Families
Rebroadcast
Update for 9/11 Families
Office of the NYC Chief Medical Examiner
Presented by:
Dr. Jason Graham, Mark Desire, Dr. Jen Odien, Dr. Carl Gajewski, and Dr. Bradley Adams
Thursday, March 20th - 4:00pm EST
In response to requests from 9/11 family members, VOICES is rebroadcasting last month’s webinar we hosted with the NYC Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Jason Graham and his team at the OCME. During the webinar they provided updates on the notification and identification process, and discussed the recent 60 Minutes broadcast that highlighted the ongoing efforts of the OCME. Following the presentation we will allow time for Q&A.
As a reminder, the webinar is for 9/11 family members only. Feel free to share the invitation with other family members who may be interested in attending. Registration is required.
To view the 60 Minute broadcast, More than 20 years after 9/11, difficult work of identifying remains continues, click here.
About the Presenters
Bradley J. Adams, PhD, D-ABFA
Dr. Adams’ expertise is in the field of Forensic Anthropology. Since 2004 he has been the Director of the Forensic Anthropology Unit for the Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) in New York City. In his position with the OCME, Dr. Adams and his team are responsible for all forensic anthropology casework in the five boroughs of New York City.
Prior to accepting the position in New York, Dr. Adams was a Forensic Anthropologist and Laboratory Manager at the Central Identification Laboratory (CIL) in Hawaii from 1997-2004. In this role he was responsible for the recovery and identification of missing US servicemembers from WWII, the Korean War, and Vietnam.
Dr. Adams has served as an expert witness in Forensic Anthropology in multiple court cases. He has published numerous books and articles on topics relating primarily to forensic anthropology. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Anthropology and a Fellow with the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.
Mark Desire
Mark Desire is an Assistant Director with the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner. He works in the Department of Forensic Biology, New York City’s DNA crime lab and the largest of its kind in North America. During his 24 years of employment, he has investigated thousands of criminal and missing persons cases.
He is the manager of the World Trade Center DNA Identification Team, a unit dedicated to advancing the science and helping return loved ones to their families. Mark has been recruited by the United Nations, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and several foreign countries to assist in locating the missing and design protocol to further this ability.
Carl Gajewski
Carl Gajewski is a Senior Supervisor with the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner. He works in the Department of Forensic Biology, New York City’s DNA crime laboratory; the largest of its kind in North America. During his 17 years with the agency, he has investigated thousands of criminal and missing persons cases.
In addition to the Missing Persons Team, Carl supervises the World Trade Center DNA Identification Unit, acts as a manager for the Family Assistance Center for New York City during mass fatality events, and is an integral member of the team that created, organizes, and continues to host New York City’s Missing Persons Day.
Dr. Jason Graham
Jason Graham, MD was appointed Chief Medical Examiner of New York City by Mayor Eric Adams in April 2022. In this role, he oversees investigations into deaths in New York City, and the operation of the largest public DNA laboratory in the nation.
He previously served as Acting Chief Medical Examiner since December 2021 and as First Deputy Chief Medical Examiner, the second highest leadership position within OCME, since 2013.
Dr. Graham joined the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in 2006, and later served as Deputy Chief Medical Examiner for the borough of Manhattan. With a particular focus most recently on the investigation of overdose fatalities, he leads OCME's response to the opioid epidemic in coordination with local, state and federal partners. Dr. Graham established the OCME Drug Intelligence and Intervention Group in 2016 and currently serves as Chair of the city's RxStat Overdose Fatality Review Committee led by the OCME since summer 2021.
A native of Tennessee, Dr. Graham graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine where he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He then completed general surgery internship and anatomic pathology residency at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta prior to subspecialty fellowship training in forensic pathology at the Emory/Fulton County Medical Examiner program. Dr. Graham is board certified by the American Board of Pathology in both anatomic and forensic pathology. He holds faculty appointment currently as Chair for the Department of Forensic Medicine at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine. Dr. Graham has published in numerous peer-reviewed scientific journals in the areas of forensic science, medicine, and pathology, and he is a member of both the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and the National Association of Medical Examiners.
Dr. Jen Odien
Dr. Jennifer Odien joined the NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner in July of 2015. She is the lead WTC Anthropologist for the NYC OCME and as the WTC anthropologist, she assists with the ongoing identification efforts and communicates directly with family member of victims.