Jason Brooks

Director, Forensic Science Program and Teaching Professor
Jason Brooks photo
Jason
Brooks
Director, Forensic Science Program and Teaching Professor
Address
Phone
814-863-5260

About Me

Dr. Brooks is a veterinary pathologist and a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP), a Teaching Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the Director of the Forensic Science Program at Penn State University. He is an ACVP Founding Fellow in Veterinary Forensic Pathology and a Deputy Coroner with the Centre County Coroner’s Office. Dr. Brooks has served on the board of directors of the International Veterinary Forensic Sciences Association (IVFSA) and is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) where he also serves on the Academy Standards Board - Wildlife Forensics Consensus Body.  He is also a member of the ACVP committee for Veterinary Forensic Pathology certification. His research is focused on the pathology of gunshot wounds and the estimation of the postmortem interval. He is the editor and contributing author of the textbook Veterinary Forensic Pathology, and he serves on the Editorial Committee of the journal Forensic Science International. He teaches research foundations to graduate students and a course in Medicolegal Death Investigation.

 

Editorial Boards

  • Board of Directors (former) - International Veterinary Forensic Sciences Association
     
  • Editorial Committee – Forensic Science International Journal

 

Research Interest

  • Medicolegal Death Investigation
     
  • Veterinary forensic pathology
     
  • Pathology of gunshot wounds and estimation of range of fire
     
  • Estimation of postmortem interval

 

Selected Publications

  • McEwen BJ, Stern AW, Viner T, Brooks JW, Kagan R, Brower A, McDonough SP.  Veterinary Forensic Postmortem Examination Standards.  International Veterinary Forensic Science Association.  May 2021.
     
  • Stern AW, McDonough SP, McEwen BJ, Brooks JW, Kagan R, Viner T, Brower A.  Veterinary Forensic Pathology Standards.  Letter to the Editor.  Journal of Forensic Sciences.  66(3):1176, May 2021.
     
  • Brooks JW.  The Forensic Necropsy.  In: Byrd, Norris, & Bradley, eds. Veterinary Forensic Medicine and Forensic Sciences.  Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.  July 2020.
     
  • Mee NC, Murphy L, Fisher J, Brooks JW, Ternent M, Brown JD. Clinical challenge: Yew toxicosis in black bears. Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine. 51(2):459-460, June 2020.
     
  • Stern, AW, Brooks JW, Muralidhar M. The role of the veterinary pathologist in veterinary forensic investigations. Today’s Veterinary Practice. May/June 2020.
     
  • Calvente E, Chinnici N, Brown J, Banfield J, Brooks J, Yabsley M.  Winter tick (Dermacentor albipictus) associated dermatitis in a wild elk (Cervus elaphus) in Pennsylvania.  Journal of Wildlife Diseases.  56(1):247-250, Jan 2020.
     
  • Brooks JW.  Estimating time since death.  In: Stern A, Rogers E, eds. Veterinary Forensics: A Practical Guide to Investigation, Evidence Collection, and Expert Testimony.  Abingdon, UK: Taylor and Francis Books.  March 2018.
     
  • Brooks JW, ed.  Veterinary Forensic Pathology, vol 1 and 2.  Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.  January 2018.
     
  • Kerr PJ, Cattadori IM, Liu J, Sim DG, Dodds JW, Brooks JW, Kennett MJ, Holmes EC, Read AF.  The next step in the on-going arms race between myxoma virus and wild rabbits in Australia is a novel disease phenotype.  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  114:9397-9402, Aug 29, 2017.
     
  • Brooks JW.  Invited Review: Postmortem changes in animal carcasses and estimation of the postmortem interval.  Veterinary Pathology.  53:929-940, Sept 2016.
     
  • Brooks JW, Wagner D, Kime L, Santini E, Martin K, Harper JK, Barry J, Donley S.  Agricultural Alternatives: White-tailed deer production.  University Park: Penn State Extension, 2015.
     
  • McDonough SP, Gerdin J, Wuenschmann A, McEwen BJ, Brooks JW.  Illuminating dark cases: veterinary forensic pathology emerges.  Veterinary Pathology.  52:5-6, Jan 2015.
     
  • Brooks JW, Jayarao BM, Kumar A, Narayanan S, Myers S, Nagaraja TG.  Characterization of Fusobacterium isolates from the respiratory tract of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus).  Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation.  26:213-220, March 2014.
     
  • Brooks JW, Roberts EL, Kocher K, Kariyawasam S, DebRoy C.  Fatal pneumonia caused by extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) in a juvenile cat recovered from an animal hoarding incident.  Veterinary Microbiology.  167:704-707, Dec 2013.
     
  • Hattel  AL, Monga V, Srinivas U, Gillespie J, Brooks JW, Fisher J, Jayarao BM.  Development and evaluation of an automated histology classification system for veterinary pathology.  Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation. 25:714-718, Nov 2013.