Dr. Jessica (Ya-Chih) Cheng, Ph.D

Dr. Ya-Chih (Jessica) Cheng joined the Department of Forensic Science at the George Washington University in August 2024. She earned her BS in Food Science and Biotechnology from National Chung Hsing University (Taiwan), MS in Toxicology from National Taiwan University (Taiwan), and her PhD in Forensic Science from Sam Houston State University (Texas). Her PhD dissertation, titled "Differentiation of Hemp from Marijuana: Genetic and Chemical Challenges," focused on developing forensic chemistry and genetic techniques to distinguish between hemp and marijuana while addressing the complexities of cannabinoid analysis. This work earned her the Emerging Forensic Scientist Award from the Forensic Sciences Foundation for three consecutive years. Before joining GW, Dr. Cheng worked at the National Health Research Institutes in Taiwan, interned at the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner, and served as a postdoctoral teaching fellow at Sam Houston State University's Department of Forensic Science. She was also a visiting research scientist in the Organic Chemical Metrology Group and Applied Genetics Groups at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Dr. Cheng has authored and co-authored several peer-reviewed publications and has presented at numerous national conferences, including the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS), International Society for Forensic Genetics (ISFG), Society of Forensic Toxicologists (SOFT), International Symposium on Human Identification (ISHI), Association of Forensic DNA Analysts and Administrators (AFDAA), and the NIJ National Research Conference.