Dr. Melinek is a American Board of Pathology board-certified forensic pathologist practicing forensic medicine in San Francisco, California as well as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Pathology at the UCSF Medical Center. Dr. Melinek trained in Pathology at University of California, Los Angeles and then as a forensic pathologist at the New York City Medical Examiner's Office from 2001-2003. She has consulted and testified in criminal and civil cases in Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington.

Dr. Melinek has been qualified as an expert witness in forensic pathology, neuropathology and wound interpretation. She has had subspecialty training in surgery and has published and consulted on cases of medical malpractice and therapeutic complications. She trains doctors and attorneys on forensic pathology, proper death reporting and certification. She has been invited to lecture at professional conferences on the subjects of death certification, complications of therapy, forensic toxicology and in-custody deaths. She has also published extensively in the peer-reviewed literature on subjects of surgical complications, death following gastric bypass, forensic toxicology, opioid overdose deaths, immunology, neuropathology and transplant surgery.

Past clients include the Santa Clara County District Attorney, Office of the County Counsel County of Contra Costa, Marin County Public Defender, the Court Appointed Attorney Program of the Alameda County Bar Association, the Attorney General of the State of California, the United States Military, and many private civil plaintiff's and defense attorneys. Dr. Melinek travels locally in Northern California to testify in and around the Bay Area including San Mateo, Santa Clara, Marin, Monterey, Napa, Lake, Shasta, Solano, Sonoma and Stanislaus Counties. She has also been called to Southern California to review cases in Los Angeles, San Bernadino, Riverside, Ventura and San Diego Counties.

DR. MELINEK IN THE NEWS:

Workstew Podcast: Interview with Forensic Pathologist Dr. Judy Melinek & Writer T.J. Mitchell

Radio Interview on Life, Love & Health: Working Stiff - A Forensic Pathologist's Diary

Radio Interview on Life, Love & Health: Working Stiff - The Making of a Medical Examiner

Radio Interview on Life, Love & Health: Autopsies: How The Body Speaks in Death

Hog-Tying Victim Had Signs of Strangulation - South Florida Times October12, 2012

Dr. Phil September 21, 2012: Deadly New Accusations: A Murder Mystery?

Dr. Drew Interview on HLN: Attorney on Mansion Death: "Time to Reopen This"

Fox 5 News: New Report says Max Shacknai's Death was Homicide

Radio Interview with Christopher Springmann: Life, Love & Health

Jury in San Jose Awards Widow $1 Million for Wrongful Death of Husband in Police Custody

Narcotics Agent Accused of Manslaughter Not Guilty

Pathologist Testifies Overton's Foster Son's Death was an Accident

Witnesses in Hannah Overton Hearing: Flaws in Case