Abuzar Kabir, Ph.D.

Dr. Abuzar Kabir is a Research Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA. His research focusses on the synthesis, characterization and applications of novel sol-gel derived advanced materials to be used as chromatographic stationary phases, surface coatings of microextraction sorbents, nanoparticles, microporous and mesoporous functionalized sorbents, molecularly imprinted polymers for analyzing trace and ultra-trace level concentration of polar, medium polar, nonpolar, ionic analytes, and heavy metals from complex sample matrices. His inventions, fabric phase sorptive extraction (FPSE), dynamic fabric phase sorptive extraction (DFPSE), capsule phase microextraction (CPME), molecular imprinting technology, superpolar sorbents, in-vial microextraction (IVME), sol-gel based reversed phase LC stationary phases and SPE sorbents, organic polymeric LC stationary phases and SPE sorbents have drawn global attention. Dr. Kabir has authored 36 patents, ~30 book chapters, ~30 review articles, ~200 research articles, and more than 200 conference papers 

Dr. Kelvin J. Frank earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Forensic Chemistry from the University of Central Missouri followed by a Master of Science in Forensic Science and a Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry from Florida International University (FIU). He currently serves as a lecturer in the department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at FIU as well as the program manager for FIU's Global Forensic and Justice Center canine detection program and the newly launched International Commission on Detector Dogs (ICODD). 

Dr Frank’s expertise involves science and standards for training and certifying canines. His work has focused primarily on the odor chemistry of canine targets of interest such as drugs, explosives, and mass storage devices. His research has been presented at national and international conferences, and is the lead author of the book chapter, "Explosive Detection by Dogs" in Counterterrorist Detection Techniques of Explosives 2nd edition. 

Dr. Patrick Roman is a professor of research at Florida International University College of engineering and specializes in the development of new miniaturized forensic instrumentation with the FIU Global Forensics and Justice Center. His professional experience includes 20 years in the semiconductor and related industries, NASA, and the department of defense DOD, developing MEMS and Nano based sensors, electronic packaging devices, and instrument systems for chemical collection, separation, and detection, as well as other applications. His core functions include research, project management, education, and sensor technology business development. He is a member of IEEE, ASME, ASMS, and IMAPS.

Himali is a postdoctoral associate at the International Forensic Research Institute, Florida International University, conducting USDA-funded research on the chemical profiling of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that form odor signatures of invasive species such as the giant African snail and Caribbean fruit fly larvae. Her work supports the development of scientifically validated detection dog training aids, enhancing national security and agricultural biosecurity. She specializes in employing advanced analytical techniques, including GC–MS, LC–MS, and HPLC, for forensic and environmental applications.

Previously, her doctoral research focused on synthesizing and applying supramolecular sensors for the detection of explosives, pesticides, heavy metals, and drugs, integrating both experimental and computational approaches.

Education:

– Ph.D., Forensic Science, Gujarat University, India

– M.Sc., Forensic Science, Gujarat University, India

– B.Sc., Biochemistry, Gujarat University, India

 Michelle recently graduated from Florida International University with her PhD in chemistry with a focus on forensics. While at FIU, she worked in both Dr. DeGreeff’s and Dr. Furton’s labs, researching the headspace profile of crude oils using solid phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). She was interested in determining how the headspace of fresh crude oil differed based on the origin of the oil as well as how the profile changed as it underwent weathering, specifically when submergence of the crude oil occurred. Additionally, she was trying to determine the odorants or groups of odorants canines were using to detect subsurface and submerged oil to help create better training aids for oil detection dogs. She had also worked with samples from the Surfside building collapse to determine possible contaminants search and rescue canines may have been exposed to while working the scene. She has presented at different conferences during her time at FIU, most notably at the International Oil Spill Science Conference, the American Academy of Forensic Science, and K9 Sci Con. 

Emma received a doctorate in Chemistry in the Summer of 2025 while working in the research laboratories of Dr. Kenneth G. Furton and Dr. Lauryn E. DeGreeff. Her projects focused on the analysis of vapor transport from buried explosive devices through various environmental conditions, as well as an investigation on sorption of explosive- and drug-related volatile organic compounds to materials that may be used to conceal illicit substances or may be used in the storage of canine training aids. She was awarded the presidential fellowship upon entering FIU in the Fall of 2020, and during her time as a graduate student she participated in two summer internships, in 2022 and 2023, with Dr. Ryan Johnson at the Naval Research Laboratory. Prior to graduate school she also took part in undergraduate research at The College of New Jersey, while earning her bachelor’s degree in chemistry, and in a summer REU program at Michigan State University. 

Kayla Hogan is a fourth-year Chemistry Ph.D. candidate at Florida International University (FIU), currently working under Dr. Lauryn E. DeGreeff and Dr. Kenneth G. Furton. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry at FIU in the Fall of 2021 and her Master of Science in Forensic Science at FIU in the Summer of 2025. In the Fall of 2025, she will be doing an internship with Customs and Border Protection (CBP). 

In her research, she is working on a cross-contamination project to assess the permeability of volatile organic compounds in different types of primary containers over time using SPME-GC/MS. In addition, she is working on the characterization and stability of alternative fentanyl training aids. Outside of her research, she loves to run and train for 5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons, and marathons. education for the 21st century.

Fernando Zaldívar Eyre is a second-year PhD candidate in Chemistry at Florida International University, where he earned his B.S. in Chemistry in 2021 and is concurrently completing an M.S. in Forensic Science. He joined Dr. LaurynDeGreeff’s and Dr. Kenneth Furton’s research groups in Fall 2024 to pursue substrate optimization for canine training aids.

Since September 2024, Fernando has worked as a Graduate Research Assistant on two CARFS-funded projects. The first project evaluates the efficacy of various sorbent substrates in collecting and dissipating common canine target analytes, while the second assesses each material’s resistance to non-target contamination under realistic field conditions. His collaborative efforts with Natalia Gutierrez, Eduardo Moreira, Dr. DeGreeff, and Dr. Furton involve generating comparative adsorption/desorption kinetics, competition and contamination-resistance profiles to inform best practices in training aid development.

Fernando has shared his work through an oral presentation at the CARFS Symposium in Largo, FL (February 2025) and poster presentations at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences Annual Conference in Baltimore (February 2025) and Pittcon in Boston (March 2025). Outside the lab, he enjoys traveling and sampling local cuisines wherever his research takes him.

Farnaz Javadi is a third-year Ph.D. student at Florida International University (FIU), working under the supervision of Dr. Kenneth Furton and Dr. DeEtta Mills. She joined FIU in Spring 2023 after earning her B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from Shahid Beheshti University in Iran. Her research focuses on the analysis of human hand odor, specifically volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and microbial profiles, as potential biometric markers and tools for class characterization. The ultimate goal of her work is to develop a reliable, non-invasive method for forensic human identification.

Michaela Clarke is a second-year Ph.D. student under the tutelage of Dr. Kenneth Furton and Dr. Anthony DeCaprio. She received a Bachelor of Science in Forensic Studies and a minor in Chemistry at Florida Gulf Coast University. During her undergraduate career, her research focused on the development of a green extraction method for shea butter and the brewing process of beer. Currently, she is researching the development of a novel portable breath sample device for the rapid and efficient identification of biomarkers for mitragyna speciosa. Korth. In her spare time, she spends most of her time crocheting, baking, and cooking.

Stephen Isbel is a second-year Ph.D. student in Chemistry at Florida International University, working under the supervision of Dr. Kenneth Furton Mr. Isbel was born in Orlando, FL and grew up on a farm in TN. Mr. Isbel has completed his B.Sc. in Software Engineering and Forensic Science at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU). While at FGCU, he obtained seven peer-reviewed articles with two as first author: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8171-9393. In 2024, he was accepted into the Florida International University’s graduate program and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Chemistry. He works under the direction of Dr. Kenneth Furton in the discovery of novel infectious disease detection methods.

Tauhidur Rahman is a second-year Ph.D. student in Chemistry at Florida International University, working under the supervision of Dr. Kenneth Furton and Dr. Abuzar Kabir. He earned his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Chemistry from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Before joining FIU, Tauhidur gained professional experience in academia and the pharmaceutical industry. His doctoral research focuses on developing sol-gel-based molecularly imprinted polymers for detecting environmental pollutants and controlled substances.