He is a 1998 recipient of the West Virginia University, School of Dentistry Alumni Association’s Distinguished
Alumnus of the Year Award. Dr. Herschaft is a Diplomate of the American Boards of Oral Medicine and
Forensic Odontology and a Fellow of the American College of Dentists, International College of Dentists,
American Academy of Forensic Sciences and Pierre Fauchard Academy. He has published and presented
extensively on the subjects of the relationship between oral and systemic health, oral and maxillofacial
pathology and forensic dentistry
Dr. Edward Herschaft’stopic for presentation:
"Dental, Oral, & Maxillofacial Radiographic Features of Forensic Interest"
Antemortem and postmortem dental and medical radiographs are important components of the forensic
dental evidence that is compared for victim identification in individual and multiple fatality incident situations.
This presentation will provide the participant with information regarding the proper collection, storage, and
interpretation of two and three dimensional radiographic information for resolution of forensic dental issues.
Dr. James Mah’s biography:
Dr. James Mah is a Clinical Professor and the Program Director in Orthodontics at the University of Nevada,
Las Vegas. His research is focused on 3-Dimensional imaging and modeling for the purposes of diagnosis,
treatment planning and therapeutics as well as anthropology and forensics. He has been involved in the
research and development of 3-D facial imaging devices, intra-oral scanners, CAD/CAM applications in
dentistry and cone-beam CT scanners. He obtained his Doctorate of Dental Surgery, Master of Science
degrees and his Certificate of Specialization in Orthodontics from the University of Alberta. Following he
graduated from Harvard Medical School with a Doctorate of Medical Science degree and completed a Post-
Doctoral Fellowship in the Department of Orthopaedics at Children’s Hospital, Boston. Dr. Mah has authored
numerous publications, textbooks, and book chapters and regularly presents nationally and internationally. In
addition, his work has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, The National Post, Tech TV and Men’s
Health. He also reviews for the Journal of Clinical Orthodontics, the American Journal of Orthodontics &
Dentofacial Orthopedics and other dental journals.
Dr. James Mah’s topic for presentation:
A FORENSIC IDENTIFICATION APPROACH TO CREATE FACIAL APPROXIMATIONS USING
CONE-BEAM COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY"
Estimation of facial soft tissue appearance from human skeletal remains is often necessary in forensic
identification and anthropology. This presentation describes a novel method of facial approximation that
combines cephalometric techniques for characterization of the craniofacial complex commonly used in the
field of orthodontics with a database of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) skull images.
Dr. Geoffrey Sperber’s biography:
Born in Bloemfontein, South Africa. He graduated in Dentistry from the University of Witwatersrand in 1956.
Appointed research fellow at the University of Rochester from 1959 to 1961, where he earned a MS degree.
He came to the University of Alberta in 1961 and was a full professor in Dentistry until 1996. He is now an
emeritus professor and has been appointed successively as a Visiting Professor at the National University of
Singapore, the University of Witwatersrand, University of Otago, the University of Manitoba, and the
University of Rochester during the past 14 years.Dr. Sperber is the author of 6 books: Craniofacial
Embryology (5 editions); Morphology of Cheek Teeth of Early South African Hominids; Atlas of Radiographs
of Early Man; From Apes to Angels; Craniofacial Embryogenetics and Development. He has also had 20
book chapters and 90 scientific articles published.
