The forensic medicine section within the Division of Pathology is dedicated towards the provision of education, training and research in all aspects of the discipline. The section maintains close links with the pathologists who are employed by NHS Lothian - University Hospitals Division to carry out postmortem examinations on the instructions of the Procurators Fiscal. Past and present research interests within the section include deaths due to fire, suicide, drug use, brain trauma, road traffic collisions, cot death, forensic archaeology, odontology, psychology, head injury, DNA and the role of the autopsy in the investigation of death.