Research Lab: Skillman

Dr. Skillman’s research interests are primarily in forensic toxicology with some interest in seized drug analysis. Her experience in toxicology involves the detection of a wide variety of substances in various biological specimens using advanced instrumentation techniques such as liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) and liquid chromatography high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Dr. Skillman’s long-term research goals are to improve efficiency of laboratory processes by incorporating novel psychoactive substances in existing scopes of traditionally tested compounds which would allow laboratories to update existing methodologies, thereby decreasing analysis times and backlogs.

Major areas of interest include:

  • Forensic Toxicology
  • Novel Psychoactive Substances
  • Sedative Hypnotics
  • Liquid Chromatography
  • High Resolution Mass Spectrometry
  • Method Development and Validation

    • Dr. Skillman’s current research group endeavors:

  • Development of LC-MS/MS and HRMS methods to characterize benzodiazepine and opioid (“benzodope”) combinations in blood, urine, and alternative specimens
  • Detection and characterization of PCP and ketamine analogs in traditional and alternative forensic matrices
  • Detecting novel and traditional benzodiazepines in biological specimens using LC-MS/MS and LC-QTOF/MS
  • Traditional and novel techniques for identifying nitazene analogs in biological specimens for toxicological screening
  • Physicochemical characterization, quantitation, and metabolism of nitazene analogs for forensic toxicology interpretation
  • Detection of hallucinogenic compounds and metabolites in biological samples using LC/MS/MS
  • Detection and quantitation of novel sedative hypnotics, such as dual orexin receptor antagonists and metabolites, in blood using LC-QTOF/MS and LC/MS/MS

    • Lab Group

    Research Updates