Positions

Overview

  • Gregory G. Davis graduated from Vanderbilt Medical School and trained in pathology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, followed by a fellowship in forensic pathology at the San Diego County Medical Examiner Office in San Diego, CA. Dr. Davis then joined the faculty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he currently serves as a Professor and as Director of the Forensic Division of the Department of Pathology. Dr. Davis also serves as Chief Coroner/Medical Examiner for Jefferson County, Alabama, the county in which Birmingham is located. Dr. Davis has earned a Master of Science in Public Health from the UAB School of Public Health. His research interest is the application of epidemiology to the study and practice of forensic pathology, especially drug-related deaths. He has published 76 peer-reviewed manuscripts, including serving as lead author on both the 2013 opioid position paper of the National Association of Medical Examiners and on the updated position paper, which was published in 2020. He serves on the editorial board of the journal Forensic Science, Medicine, and Pathology. Dr. Davis is a member of the Anatomic Pathology CertLink Test Development and Advisory Committee for the American Board of Pathology. Dr. Davis serves as a Fellow At-Large Director on the Board of Directors of the American Society for Clinical Pathology and is a past president of the National Association of Medical Examiners.

    • Selected Publications

    Academic Article

    Year Title Altmetric
    2023 Activation and On-Scene Intervals for Severe Trauma EMS Interventions: An Analysis of the NEMSIS Database. 2023
    2020 Risk of coronavirus disease 2019 transmission during autopsy.  Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.  144:1445. 2020
    2020 Position Paper: Recommendations for the investigation, diagnosis, and certification of deaths related to opioid and other drugs.  American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology.  41:152-159. 2020
    2019 Correctly identifying deaths due to drug toxicity without a forensic autopsy.  American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology.  40:99-101. 2019
    2018 Correcting the Count: Improving Vital Statistics Data Regarding Deaths Related to Obesity.  Journal of Forensic Sciences.  63:1155-1159. 2018
    2018 Report and Recommendations of the Association of Pathology Chairs’ Autopsy Working Group.  Academic Pathology.  5. 2018
    2017 A survey of medical examiner death certification of vignettes on death in epilepsy: Gaps in identifying SUDEP.  Journal of epilepsy.  133:71-75. 2017
    2017 Expert witness testimony: Overview and recommendations based on a professional experience.  Journal of Forensic Radiology and Imaging.  8:9-12. 2017
    2017 Research in forensic radiology and imaging; Identifying the most important issues.  Journal of Forensic Radiology and Imaging.  8:1-8. 2017
    2016 Identifying cases of heroin toxicity where 6-acetylmorphine (6-AM) is not detected by toxicological analyses 2016
    2016 Implications of Death Certification on Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) Research 2016
    2016 Review of Postmortem Interval Estimation Using Vitreous Humor: Past, Present, and Future 2016
    2015 The Association between Laminectomy and Drug Overdose Deaths: A Matched Case-Control Study 2015
    2015 Comparison of the Distribution of Cranial Fractures by Mechanism of Formation 2015
    2015 Computer Extraction of Data from Autopsy and Toxicology Reports 2015
    2015 Creation of a Queryable Toxicology Database Available to Forensic Pathologists 2015
    2014 Letter from the Name President 2014
    2014 Overview of the Organization of Scientific Area Committees 2014
    2014 Principles for Sound Scientific Writing 2014
    2014 Letter from the Name President 2014
    2014 Complete Republication: National Association of Medical Examiners Position Paper: Recommendations for the Investigation, Diagnosis, and Certification of Deaths Related to Opioid Drugs.  Journal of Medical Toxicology.  10:100-106. 2014
    2014 Letter from the Name President 2014
    2014 The effect of trauma care on the temporal distribution of homicide mortality in Jefferson County, Alabama 2014
    2014 The effect of previous traumatic injury on homicide risk.  Journal of Forensic Sciences.  59:986-990. 2014
    2013 From the Incoming President 2013
    2013 State Variation in Certifying Manner of Death and Drugs Involved in Drug Intoxication Deaths 2013
    2013 National Association of Medical Examiners Position Paper: Recommendations for the Investigation, Diagnosis, and Certification of Deaths Related to Opioid Drugs 2013
    2013 Recommendations for the Investigation, Diagnosis, and Certification of Deaths Related to Opioid Drugs 2013
    2012 Tattoo frequency and types among homicides and other deaths, 2007-2008: A matched case-control study.  American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology.  33:202-205. 2012
    2012 Drug abuse: Newly-Emerging drugs and trends.  Clinics in Laboratory Medicine.  32:407-414. 2012
    2012 Forensic toxicology..  Clinical Laboratory Science.  25:120-124. 2012
    2011 Scientific Inquiry — Conceiving and Testing Hypotheses 2011
    2011 Welcome to Name's New Journal 2011
    2011 Study of vitreous potassium correlation with time since death in the postmortem range from 2 to 110 hours using capillary ion analysis 2011
    2010 Hyperthermia deaths among children in parked vehicles: An analysis of 231 fatalities in the United States, 1999-2007 2010
    2009 Check Sample Abstracts..  American Journal of Clinical Pathology.  131:286-299. 2009
    2009 Reassessment of the tri-modal mortality distribution in the presence of a regional trauma system.  Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery.  66:526-530. 2009
    2008 The relationship of drug abuse to unexplained sudden death.  Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.  132:1903-1906. 2008
    2007 The predictive value of history and scene investigation for toxicology results in a medical examiner population.  American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology.  28:103-106. 2007
    2006 The art of attorney interaction and courtroom testimony.  Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.  130:1305-1308. 2006
    2006 Malpractice in pathology: What to do when you are sued.  Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.  130:975-978. 2006
    2005 Unexplained sudden death and the likelihood of drug abuse.  Journal of Forensic Sciences.  50:419-422. 2005
    2004 Investigation of elderly deaths in nursing homes by the medical examiner over a year.  American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology.  25:209-212. 2004
    2004 A comparison of three sources of data on child homicide.  Death Studies.  28:659-669. 2004
    2004 Comparison of heart Mass in Seizure Patients Dying of Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy to Sudden Death due to Some Other Cause.  American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology.  25:23-28. 2004
    2004 Preexisting conditions and mortality in older trauma patients.  Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery.  56:1291-1296. 2004
    2003 Investigation of Long-Term Care Deaths Within a Medical Examiner System 2003
    2003 Epidemiology of child homicide in Jefferson County, Alabama.  Child Abuse and Neglect.  27:1063-1073. 2003
    2003 Pelvic trauma in rapidly fatal motor vehicle accidents.  Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma.  17:406-410. 2003
    2003 Death During Theft From Electric Utilities.  American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology.  24:173-176. 2003
    2003 Death During Theft From Electric Utilities.  American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology.  24:173. 2003
    2003 Diagnosis of sudden unexplained death in epilepsy by immunohistochemical staining for prolactin in cerebral vessels.  American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology.  24:28-31. 2003
    2003 Death during theft from electric utilities.  American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology.  24:173-176. 2003
    2002 Epidemiology of fatal occupational injuries in Jefferson County, Alabama.  Southern Medical Journal.  95:1300-1311. 2002
    2002 A review of methadone deaths in Jefferson County, Alabama.  American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology.  23:299-304. 2002
    2002 Analysis of the incidence of pelvic trauma in fatal automobile accidents.  American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology.  23:132-136. 2002
    2002 Occupational electrocutions in Jefferson County, Alabama.  Occupational Medicine.  52:102-106. 2002
    2001 Hypothermia deaths in Jefferson County, Alabama.  Injury Prevention.  7:141-145. 2001
    2001 Pigmented cardiac paraganglioma.  Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.  125:680-682. 2001
    2001 Case report of sudden death after a blow to the back of the neck.  American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology.  22:13-18. 2001
    2001 Report on the 2003 revision of the U.S. Standard Certificate of Death.  American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology.  22:38-42. 2001
    2000 Correlation of the incidence of cocaine and cocaethylene in hair and postmortem biologic samples.  American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology.  21:166-171. 2000
    2000 A review of crane deaths in Jefferson County, Alabama.  Journal of Forensic Sciences.  45:392-396. 2000
    2000 The April 8, 1998 Tornado: Assessment of the trauma system response and the resulting injuries.  Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery.  48:666-672. 2000
    1999 Authors' Response.  Journal of Forensic Sciences.  44:12055j. 1999
    1999 Methamphetamine as a risk factor for acute aortic dissection.  Journal of Forensic Sciences.  44:23-26. 1999
    1999 Methamphetamine as a risk factor for acute aortic dissection.  Journal of Forensic Sciences.  44:1092. 1999
    1998 A 15 year retrospective review of homicide in the elderly.  Journal of Forensic Sciences.  43:371-374. 1998
    1998 A review of carisoprodol deaths in Jefferson County, Alabama.  Southern Medical Journal.  91:726-730. 1998
    1998 Comparison of anti-epileptic drug levels in different cases of sudden death.  Journal of Forensic Sciences.  43:598-603. 1998
    1998 Fatal multiple drug intoxication following acute sertraline use.  Journal of Analytical Toxicology.  22:545-548. 1998
    1997 A 15-year review of railway-related deaths in Jefferson County, Alabama.  American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology.  18:363-368. 1997
    1997 Mind your manners Part I: History of death certification and manner of death classification.  American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology.  18:219-223. 1997
    1996 The incidence of acute cocaine or methamphetamine intoxication in deaths due to ruptured cerebral (berry) aneurysms.  Journal of Forensic Sciences.  41:626-628. 1996
    1994 Acute aortic dissections and ruptured berry aneurysms associated with methamphetamine abuse.  Journal of Forensic Sciences.  39:1481-1485. 1994
    1994 Adenovirus myocarditis: Retrospective diagnosis by gene amplification from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues.  Human Pathology.  25:831-834. 1994
    1992 Plasmacytic differentiation in parafollicular (monocytoid) B-cell lymphoma: A study of 12 cases.  American Journal of Surgical Pathology.  16:1066-1074. 1992
    1989 Maternal brain death and prolonged fetal survival.  Obstetrics and Gynecology.  74:434-437. 1989
    1986 The formation of plasma membrane blebs in hepatocytes exposed to agents that increase cytosolic Ca2+ is mediated by the activation of a non-lysosomal proteolytic system..  FEBS Letters.  209:139-144. 1986
    1985 Purification and characterization of the human liver cytochromes P-450 involved in debrisoquine 4-hydroxylation and phenacetin O-deethylation, two prototypes for genetic polymorphism in oxidative drug metabolism.  Journal of Biological Chemistry.  260:9057-9067. 1985

    Book

    Year Title Altmetric
    2012 Pathology and Law A Practical Guide for the Pathologist 2012

    Chapter

    Year Title Altmetric
    2012 Forensic Pathology - The Roles of Molecular Diagnostics and Radiology at Autopsy.  102-130. 2012

    Teaching Activities

  • 48-402 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Fall Term 2007)
  • 48-402 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Fall Term 2007)
  • 48-402 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Fall Term 2009)
  • 48-402 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Fall Term 2009)
  • 48-402 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Fall Term 2010)
  • 48-402 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Fall Term 2010)
  • 48-402 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Fall Term 2012)
  • 48-402 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Fall Term 2012)
  • 48-402 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Spring Term 2007)
  • 48-402 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Spring Term 2007)
  • 48-402 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Spring Term 2008)
  • 48-402 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Spring Term 2008)
  • 48-402 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Spring Term 2008)
  • 48-402 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Spring Term 2010)
  • 48-402 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Spring Term 2010)
  • 48-402 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Spring Term 2011)
  • 48-402 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Spring Term 2012)
  • 48-402 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Spring Term 2012)
  • 48-402 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Spring Term 2013)
  • 48-402 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Spring Term 2013)
  • 95-404 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Fall Term 2008)
  • 95-404 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Fall Term 2008)
  • 95-404 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Fall Term 2008)
  • 95-404 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Fall Term 2009)
  • 95-404 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Fall Term 2009)
  • 95-404 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Fall Term 2009)
  • 95-404 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Fall Term 2010)
  • 95-404 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Spring Term 2007)
  • 95-404 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Spring Term 2009)
  • 95-404 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Spring Term 2010)
  • 95-404 - FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (Spring Term 2010)
  • OBHS121 - Fundamentals of Dent and Opt 2 (Fall Term 2009)
  • OBHS121 - Fundamentals of Dent and Opt 2 (Fall Term 2011)

    • Education And Training

  • San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office Medical Examiner's Office, Residency
  • Vanderbilt University Pathology, Residency
  • Doctor of Medicine, Vanderbilt University 1987

    • Awards And Honors

    Full Name

  • Gregory Davis