Dr Michael Robertson, Ph.D. (Med)

Dr Michael Robertson is a chemist, pharmacologist and forensic toxicologist with more than 30 years of professional experience, and a national authority on drug and alcohol testing. He has held senior roles in laboratory management and forensic toxicology in Australia and the United States, at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine in Melbourne and the Office of the Medical Examiner in California.

As an independent expert and consultant he advises on the testing and interpretation of results from urine, oral fluid, blood and hair, and provides expert reports and testimony in Australian courts across criminal, family law, insurance, public liability and workplace matters.

He has authored more than a dozen peer-reviewed papers in international journals including Forensic Science International and Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology, is an invited reviewer for both, and presents regularly to conferences, universities, law firms, law societies, police, prosecutors and plaintiff and defence lawyers.

Medico-legal matters he reports on

Criminal law

Drug-facilitated sexual assault; DUI and DUID; cause or contribution to death; human performance and behaviour; poisonings; drug importation, possession, supply and manufacturing; and the legal status of drugs including synthetic cannabis, synthetic stimulants and analogue provisions.

Family law

Interpretation of urine and hair testing results, Liver Function Tests (LFT), Carbohydrate Deficient Transferrin (CDT) and Ethyl Glucuronide (EtG) testing.

Personal injury and insurance

Medical negligence, CTP and insurance claims.

Doping disputes and investigations

Professional athletes (ASADA, WADA) and Steward enquiries in the racing industry — jockeys, riders, racehorses, harness racing and greyhounds.

Workplace accidents

The cause and contribution of drugs and alcohol to an incident, together with exposure to chemicals and other poisons.

Workplace disputes

Interpretation of urine, oral fluid and hair results, and compliance with acceptable drug testing procedures — including AS/NZS 4308:2008 and AS/NZS 4760-2019 — before courts of law and Fair Work Australia.

Professional experience

1. 2001 – present

   Director and Senior Consultant

   Independent Forensic Consulting Pty Ltd — Australia

   • Provides independent advice and expert opinions in legal matters, and prepares expert reports and testifies throughout Australia and internationally.
   • Evaluates and gives opinions on all aspects of drug testing and result interpretation; aspects of drug manufacture; the effects of drugs including alcohol on human performance in driving and workplace accidents; the role of drugs in deaths and significant injuries; and the investigation of human poisonings and chemical exposures.
   • Has assigned, supervised, performed, certified and interpreted hundreds of chemical and toxicological analyses for pathology and forensic laboratories, drug testing organisations, law enforcement, private individuals, pharmaceutical companies, regulatory agencies and legal professionals.
   • More than 15 years as an analyst and analytical chemist, both performing analyses and supervising and managing laboratories.

2. 2011 – present

   Consulting toxicologist to industry and national workplace drug testing organisations

   Independent advisory practice — Australia

   • Advises national drug testing companies and private, government and union organisations on the strengths and weaknesses of urine and oral fluid testing strategies.
   • Interprets laboratory results for blood, oral fluid and urine drug findings, and evaluates or recommends testing regimes, policies and procedures for compliance with AS/NZS 4308:2008 and AS/NZS 4760-2019.
   • Evaluates matters of forensic concern including disputed drug testing results, compliance with procedures and Australian Standards, and workplace disputes — with testimony in courts of law and Fair Work Australia.
   • Provides expertise in drug, chemical and alcohol matters including assessment of impairment, drug-use patterns, and environmental and workplace exposure.

3. 2011 – present

   National advisor for workplace drug and alcohol testing programs

   Standards Australia committee CH-039 — Australia

   • Current Chair of the Standards Australia committee reviewing and updating the testing of drugs in urine (AS/NZS 4308:2008).
   • Immediate past Chair of the Standards Australia committee for the testing of drugs in oral fluid (AS/NZS 4760-2019).
   • Advises on compliant alcohol and drug testing policies and procedures, facilitates policy development and negotiations, and provides education to private and public organisations on the strengths and weaknesses of different testing regimes.

4. 2002 – 2010

   Senior Scientist and Laboratory Manager

   Hospira (Faulding) — Australia

   • Analytical and managerial functions including the testing and evaluation of liquid and solid dosage forms, raw materials and dispersions — purity, excipients and impurity profiles — by liquid chromatography (LC) and gas chromatography (GC), with and without mass spectrometry (MS) detection.
   • Managed, led and supervised teams of scientists in the development, testing and reporting of results to internal and external stakeholders, clients and regulatory agencies.

5. 2000

   Forensic Toxicology Laboratory Manager and Chief Toxicologist

   Office of the Medical Examiner — California, USA

   • Managed all scientific, financial and personnel functions of the forensic toxicology laboratory.
   • Assigned, supervised, performed and certified testing of biological specimens and exhibits for analytes of toxicological and investigational interest, especially in relation to matters of law, by LC, GC with and without MS, FID, NPD, TLC, UV and electrochemical detection, and immunoassay screening.
   • Provided oral and written reports and expert opinions to pathologists, law enforcement and other parties on the validity and significance of analytical findings, and advised local and state government on forensic toxicology, drug policy and legislation.

6. 1996 – 2000

   Forensic Toxicologist, Senior Scientist and Director of Expert Services

   National Medical Services, Inc. — Pennsylvania, USA

   • Assigned, supervised, performed and certified testing of biological specimens — blood, urine, hair — together with seized drugs, for analytes of scientific and investigational interest in matters of law.
   • Analysis by LC, GC with and without MS, FID, NPD, atomic absorption, inductively coupled plasma, TLC, UV and electrochemical detection, and immunoassay screening.
   • Managed and supervised teams of scientists, chemists and toxicologists, and provided oral and written results and expert opinions to courts of law throughout the USA.

7. 1991 – 1996

   Forensic Scientist

   Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine (VIFM) — Melbourne, Australia

   • Analysed biological and non-biological samples for drugs and chemicals — content, purity and impurity profiles — and performed research and development in drug testing methods.
   • Performed research into the role of drugs and alcohol in motor vehicle crashes.

Appointments and committee service

• Chair, Standards Australia Urine Drug Testing Committee CH-0392019 – present
• Chair, Standards Australia Oral Fluids Committee CH-0392014 – 2019
• FACTA Committee for Hair TestingJune 2021 – present
• FACTA Technical Working Group, Oral Fluid TestingOctober 2014 – present
• TIAFT Committee for Therapeutic / Toxic Drug Levels2011 – present
• Scientific Reviewer, Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology2014 – present
• Scientific Reviewer, Forensic Science International2003 – present
• Scientific Advisory Board, Society of Forensic Toxicologists Annual Meeting2000, 2003, 2006, 2011
• Drugs and Driving Committee, Society of Forensic Toxicologists2000 – 2004
• Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault Committee, Society of Forensic Toxicologists2000 – 2004

His interpretation and reporting follow the published standards and guidelines of SoHT, SOFT, FACTA, ANZFSS and TIAFT.