Molecular Genetics Laboratory

The OCME Molecular Genetics Laboratory—the first and only such laboratory within a medical examiner’s office in the United States—supports investigations of sudden, unexpected natural deaths and provides follow-up services for affected families. Established in 2003, the laboratory performs postmortem molecular testing to determine whether inherited genetic conditions may have contributed to a death. When a clinically significant variant is identified, the laboratory’s Genetic Intervention Family Testing Services (GIFTS) program offers targeted testing and genetic counseling to biological relatives. Our work informs medicolegal death investigations, provides families with vital information, and advances OCME’s public health mission to prevent future sudden deaths.

Postmortem Molecular Testing

Working in close collaboration with OCME forensic pathologists, the laboratory uses next-generation sequencing (NGS) of targeted gene panels to identify variants linked to sudden cardiac arrest, cardiomyopathies, channelopathies, epilepsy, and connective-tissue and aortic disorders, among other inherited conditions known to cause sudden death. When relevant genetic variants are identified, the information may help clarify the decedent’s cause of death and may also save the lives of surviving relatives who could carry the same variant.

Genetic Intervention Family Testing Services (GIFTS)

The GIFTS program was established in 2025 to support families when a decedent is found to carry a genetic variant associated with sudden death. Through this program, OCME provides targeted testing for biological relatives at no cost that focuses solely on the specific variant identified in the decedent. Testing is performed only with informed consent, and a board-certified genetic counselor guides each family through the process, offering pre-test education, coordinating sample collection, and reviewing results after testing is completed. When results indicate a potential health risk, family members are encouraged and assisted in seeking appropriate clinical follow-up. By bridging postmortem findings to living relatives, GIFTS offers families actionable information that may help prevent future deaths and upholds OCME’s commitment to public-health–oriented, family-centered service.

Accreditations

The Molecular Genetics Laboratory operates under rigorous quality and regulatory standards. It holds a New York State Clinical Laboratory Permit, maintains Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certification, and is accredited by the College of American Pathologists.  Through continuous quality improvement and adherence to high professional standards, the laboratory ensures that its results are accurate, reliable, and supportive of both medicolegal investigations and clear communication with families.

Molecular Genetics Laboratory Accreditation Certificates