Dr. Ruth Winecker is the Director of the Laboratory Quality Assurance Program and Project Director for the National Laboratory Certification Program within RTI International’s Center for Forensic Sciences. As project director for the NLCP, she directs the research, proficiency testing, and regulated laboratory inspection activities of the National Laboratory Certification Program. This federal program protects the integrity of workplace drug testing by inspecting and monitoring the labs that perform the tests.
An internationally recognized expert in forensic toxicology, she has more than 20 years of experience in laboratory practice, conducting research, training, standards setting and evaluations in forensic science and criminal justice. She is a Board-certified Forensic Toxicologist with Fellow status by the American Board of Forensic Toxicology (F-ABFT) and her work has been extensively published in the areas of clinical and forensic toxicology, including books, book chapters and peer reviewed articles.
Before joining RTI in 2018, Dr. Winecker was the Chief Toxicologist for the state of North Carolina Medical Examiner System. She was responsible for analytical testing, research, records maintenance, and review of testing for more than 11,000 cases per year and interpreted laboratory results in more than 100 court cases and depositions. She is a clinical assistant professor at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and served as a consultant to the Carolinas Poison Center and Carolinas Medical Toxicology Fellowship Program.
She is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Science (AAFS), the Society of Forensic Toxicologists (SOFT), and the International Association of Forensic Toxicologists (TIAFT) and has served on the board of directors for ABFT, AAFS and SOFT. She is a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Analytical Toxicology and participates in standards setting activities in forensic toxicology serving on both the Organization of Scientific Area Committees and the Academy Standards Board.
