Unit of Forensic Medicine (URFM)

Unit Services Research and Training FAQ
 

The URMF is part of the Forensic Medicine and Imaging Section (SMIF

Main tasks

The Unité romande de médecine forensique (URMF) carries out, at the request of the judicial authorities, forensic examinations that help solve criminal or civil investigations. It is the link between the medical field and the judicial world.

The URMF also receives special mandates. These are mainly requests for expert opinions from national and international institutions (individuals, lawyers, national and international institutions). But it can also act in special circumstances such as in the identification of victims of mass disasters of natural (landslides, tsunami, etc.) or human origin (transport accidents, victims of conflicts, etc.).

Fields of activity

he main fields of activity of the RMU are thanatological examinations (autopsy), clinical expertise (findings of traumatic injuries and sexual assault) and file-based expertise. The unit also provides pre/post-graduate and continuing education in relation to various professions (physicians, paramedics, magistrates, lawyers, police officers, etc.), and is also active in the field of forensic medicine research.

In terms of prevention and public health, the early detection of a toxic substance in the body (e.g. carbon monoxide) can prevent further poisoning. The detection of a hereditary genetic disease in a deceased person allows the search for the same genetic trait in other family members and thus makes it possible to set up a treatment.

Staff and intercantonal agreements of collaboration

  • The Unité romande de Médecine Forensique (URMF) is located on two sites (Lausanne and Geneva) and includes the forensic histopathology and immunohistochemistry laboratory (on the Geneva site).
  • Since From April 2012, within the framework of a new agreement with the Valais, a forensic medicine unit was opened in Sion within the Valais Hospital. Apart from autopsies, a large part of the tasks of the forensic pathology unit are carried out on site by Dr. Bettina Schrag who, in addition to holding the position of assistant physician at the Health Network of Valais (RSV), maintains an affiliation with the URMF.
  • In the canton of Neuchâtel, the Centre Universitaire de Médecine Légale (CURML) has been collaborating with a forensic pathologist, Dr. Rolf Jeanmonod, for over 20 years. Autopsies are performed at the CURML, Lausanne site.
  • Under a new agreement, external examinations and autopsies entrusted to CURML by the public prosecutor's office of the canton of Fribourg are carried out at the CURML site in Lausanne.
  • In the canton of Ticino, physicians from the URMF have contributed to the training of primary care physicians in forensic medicine for the management of body removal.

  

Head of the french-speaking unit of forensic medicine (URMF): Prof. Dr Tony Fracasso

Lausanne site employees

6 - Physician FMH  Tony Fracasso (manager)

Claudia Castiglioni (operational manager) 

Katarzyna Michaud

Pia Genet

Emilienne Descloux 

Jean-Loup Gassend
Physician in chief

Senior Physician

Associate Physician 

Chief Resident

Chief Resident 

Chief Resident 
10 - Residents  Alessia Carminati

Mohamed Yassine Braham

Alexandra Letin

Sara Fekraoui

Said Saadi

Cecilia Frigerio

Esteban Liard

Sacha Allard-Demoustiez

Agata Oppizzi (UIAF)

Margaux Zarattin (UMPT)
 
4 - Preparators Vincent De Bonis

Michael Ferez

Stéphanie Leveque

Maxime Chiousse
 
5 - Secretaries Catherine Oberson

Laurence André

Veronique Gallay-Hoen

Lorianne Neyroud

Diana Zanotel
 

 

Geneva site employees

7 - Physician FMH Tony Fracasso (manager)

Christelle Lardi (operational manager)

Coraline Egger

Sara Sabatasso

France Evain

Diego Aguiar
Associate Senior Physician

Senior Physician

Senior Physician

Associate Physician

Chief Resident

Chief Resident
8 - Residents Fabienne Schuchert

Marouchka Gerth

Kim Wiskott

Kelly Cunha Rodrigues

Aude Esposito-Fava

Frédérique Thicot 

Alicia Boz

Eloïse Sattonnay (UIAF)
1 - Resident in external training



Valentin Marti (Pathology)
4 - Preparators Guy Jaquier

Maud Audrey Joubin

Thierry Heude

Achille Schweizer
 
1 - Morgue Manager Simon Rappo  
3 - Histopathology laboratory

collaborators 
Catia Pomponio

Cindy Ramadoo

Sandrine Vianin
 
3 - Secretaries Annick Crockett

Cédric Hischier

Laura Rey
 

The URMF also welcomes trainees for varying periods of time, including medical students and foreign doctors specializing in forensic medicine.

Equipments

  • Autopsy room with an operating microscope
  • Optical microscops
  • CT-Scan and MRI investigations are carried out by the UIAF unit.