Jo Duflou

Professor Jo Duflou is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Medicine at the Central Clinical School, University of Sydney. Their research focuses on medicolegal autopsies, forensic toxicology, and cardiovascular pathology associated with drug-related mortality. They have contributed to understanding deaths caused by psychostimulants, opioids, and novel synthetic substances, as well as aircraft crash investigations and injury prevention strategies.

Key research interests include the toxicological and pathological analysis of drug-induced fatalities, sudden cardiac death in young populations, and the cardiovascular effects of stimulant use. Their work integrates forensic science with clinical medicine to address public health challenges related to substance abuse and toxic exposures.

Publications emphasize trends in drug-related mortality, including lithium, cocaine, and synthetic opioid toxicity, as well as the neuropathological and cardiovascular consequences of overdose. Recent work highlights the role of pulmonary hypertension from tablet injection and the clinical implications of baclofen and GHB-related deaths.

Grants include a 2014 National Health and Medical Research Council project to improve outcomes for children with major injuries and a 2009 study on sudden cardiac death in the young. Collaborations with institutions like the Sydney Cardiac Research Centre and forensic toxicology teams have advanced molecular autopsy techniques and cardiovascular genetics.

Professor Duflou’s expertise spans autopsy methodologies, forensic epidemiology, and translational research, with a focus on bridging clinical practice and legal investigations of sudden or unnatural deaths.