Pia Johansson Heinsvig
PHD STUDENT
Aarhus University, Denmark
anabolic-androgenic steroids, wastewater analysis, anti-doping, law enforcement
Pia Johansson Heinsvig is a PhD student at the Department of Forensic Medicine at Aarhus University, Denmark. The title of her PhD project is ‘Doping agents in Denmark’ and aims to give an overview of the Danish doping market from a forensic point of view. First, seized anabolic-androgenic steroids are analysed and the content for each seizure will be identified in order to determine whether the products originate from an original or a counterfeit production. Then a combined urine and wastewater method targeting doping agents (focusing on steroids), selected medicine and narcotics will be developed. The method will be used to analyse urine samples obtained from a one-year clinical forensic examination of victims and offenders from police cases in Denmark and possible trends of doping use for each type of crime will be mapped. Finally, the method will also be used to analyse wastewater from selected point sources (fitness centres, sports events, etc.) to see whether this type of approach would be possible to implement in future anti-doping monitoring. Furthermore, Pia has developed and validated an analytical method to compare seizures of oil-based anabolic-androgenic steroids during her Master thesis project. This type of information can be used to assist the police in order to unravel the illicit doping market.