History

On October 1, 2007, the University Institutes of Forensic Medicine of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Geneva and the Faculty of Biology and Medicine of the University of Lausanne merged to create the Centre universitaire romand de médecine légale (CURML). In January 2015, the Lausanne site was relocated to the new Chalet-à-Gobet site.

On January 1, 2016, Prof. Silke Grabherr succeeded Prof. Patrice Mangin as Director of CURML Lausanne-Geneva. S. Grabherr is also appointed Full Professor of Forensic Medicine at the Faculty of Biology and Medicine in Lausanne and at the Faculty of Medicine in Geneva. P. Mangin is retiring after having directed the CURML for almost 20 years.

Presentation

Essentially spread over the two university hospital sites of Lausanne and Geneva, the CURML has a staff of approximately 240 employees working in the following twelve units

forensic pathology
forensic imaging and anthropology
traffic medicine and psychology
violence medicine
Forensic psychiatry
Health law and humanitarian medicine
Forensic genetics
forensic toxicology and chemistry
the Swiss Laboratory for Doping Analysis
the faculty unit of toxicology
the faculty unit of anatomy and morphology
the Swiss human institute of forensic taphonomy

The purpose of this center is to respond to all requests for expertise or consulting assistance in the fields of forensics, medical law and doping analysis. Located in the Lake Geneva area, its field of expertise covers local, regional, national and international levels.

The CURML's main contacts are the judicial authorities and the police, the cantonal administrations in charge of road traffic, sports federations and national and international anti-doping agencies.

The academic nature of the CURML ensures that it is involved in teaching and continuing education as well as research in all areas of expertise.

Non-exhaustive list of the center's interventions

International institutions :
- Council of Europe, European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), 2007
- Guantanamo, 2006, Alkarama for Human Rights
- Intervention in East Timor, 2000, United Nations
- Former Yugoslavia, International Criminal Tribunal, 1998 - 2000

Mass disasters :
- Tragedy of the bus accident in Sierre, March 2012
- Tsunami, Thailand, December 2004
- Solar temple, Switzerland, 1994
- Mont Ste-Odile airbus crash, France, 1992
Affairs :
- President Yasser Arafat's expertise
- Yasser Arafat, 2012-2013, Palestine
- Tommaso Onofri, 2007, Italy
- Judge Bernard Borel, 2002, Djibouti
- Gendarme Jambert, 2004, France
- Cédric Tornay, 1998, Vatican
- Lady Diana, 1997, France