Lotte Ask Reitzel

Lotte Ask Reitzel is a Forensic Chemist at the Section of Forensic Chemistry, Forensic Medicine Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen. She has been employed in this position since 2006 and holds a Cand. Scient. in Environmental Chemistry from the University of Copenhagen (1999) and a Ph.D. from the Institute for Environment and Resources at the Technical University of Denmark (2005). Prior to her current position, she worked as a groundwater chemist in West Zealand County from 2005-2006.

Her educational background includes:

• Cand. Scient. in Environmental Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, 1999
• Ph.D., Institute for Environment and Resources, Technical University of Denmark, 2005

Dr. Reitzel specializes in forensic chemistry with research interests spanning drug analysis, synthetic cannabinoids, new psychoactive substances, cocaine and cannabis composition analysis, doping agents, and cutting agents in illicit drugs. Her work combines analytical chemistry techniques with forensic applications to understand the evolving landscape of illicit substances. She has made significant contributions to understanding the chemical composition of street drugs and new psychoactive substances, with particular expertise in synthetic cannabinoids and novel doping agents. Her research often involves collaboration with other forensic scientists and toxicologists across Denmark.

Analysis of her publication record from 2013-2022 reveals a consistent focus on emerging drug trends, with particular emphasis on synthetic cannabinoids (2022), cocaine purity trends (2021), cannabis composition changes (2019), and novel doping substances (2019). Her work demonstrates expertise in analytical chemistry techniques applied to forensic contexts, with publications appearing in journals such as Drug Testing and Analysis, Forensic Science International, and Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology.

Her research has gained significant attention in the scientific community, with multiple publications referenced in Wikipedia pages, cited in policy documents, and discussed on social media platforms including X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit. Several of her papers have accumulated substantial readership on academic platforms like Mendeley, indicating their relevance to ongoing forensic chemistry research.

While specific details about her advisory roles and grants are not provided in the available information, her extensive publication record and research impact suggest active involvement in forensic chemistry research projects, likely supported by various funding sources. Her work appears to be conducted within the Forensic Chemistry Department at the University of Copenhagen's Forensic Medicine Institute, which serves as Denmark's national center for forensic analysis.