AAFS 2026
Back to Basics: The Fundamentals of Forensic Science
February 9-14, 2026 — New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
Daily Events
This provides a general overview of the daily events taking place during the conference. A more detailed schedule will be available closer to the conference.
Bolded events are open to all attendees.
AAFS 2026 Calendar of Events |
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Sunday, February 8, 2026 | |
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| AAFS Registration Open | 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM |
| Off-Site New Orlean Tours | 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM |
Monday, February 9, 2026 | |
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| AAFS Registration Open | 6:45 AM - 5:00 PM |
| Workshops | 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM |
| Off-Site Crime Lab Tour | 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM |
| Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations (CFSO) Legislative Update Annual Report | 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM |
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 | |
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| AAFS Speaker Ready Room | 6:45 AM - 4:30 PM |
| AAFS Registration Open | 6:45 AM - 6:00 PM |
| Workshops | 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM |
| Special Session #1: Young Forensic Scientists Forum | 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM |
| FEPAC Session: Accreditation of Forensic Science Academic Programs Through the AAFS | 8:30 AM - 12:45 PM |
| AAFS Student Academy | 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM |
| Off-Site Crime Lab Tour | 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM |
| Special Session #2: Interdisciplinary Symposium | 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM |
| AAFS Welcome Reception | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM |
| Employment Forum | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM |
| Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center (HHRRC) Poster & Networking Session | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM |
| Community Connections Forum & Reception | 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM |
Wednesday, February 11, 2026 | |
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| AAFS Speaker Ready Room | 6:45 AM - 4:30 PM |
| AAFS Registration Open | 6:45 AM - 5:00 PM |
| AAFS Plenary Session | 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM |
| Poster Sessions | 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM |
| The Forensic Exchange (exhibit hall) | 11:30 AM - 4:00 PM |
| Section Luncheons | 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM |
| Section Business Meetings | 12:30 PM - 3:15 PM |
| AAFS ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING | 3:45 PM - 5:30 PM |
| Toxicology Section Poster Session | 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM |
| Bring Your Own Slides (BYOS) | 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM |
Thursday, February 12, 2026 | |
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| AAFS Speaker Ready Room | 6:45 AM - 4:30 PM |
| AAFS Registration Open | 6:45 AM - 5:00 PM |
| Scientific Sessions | TBA |
| The Forensic Exchange (exhibit hall) | 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM |
| Poster Sessions | 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM |
| Luncheon #1: Bloodstains, Injury Patterns, and the Ability to Act: What Can Go Wrong? | 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM |
| Luncheon #2: Disaster Management for the Forensic Laboratory: A Hurricane Katrina Primer and Retrospective | 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM |
| Luncheon #3: Grizzlies, Guns, and Glaciers: Interesting National Park Deaths | 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM |
| University Fair | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM |
| AAFS 78th Forensics After Hours Reception | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM |
| Toxicology Open Forum | 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM |
| Last Word Society & Trivia Night | 8:00 PM - 10:30 PM |
Friday, February 13, 2026 | |
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| AAFS Speaker Ready Room | 6:45 AM - 4:30 PM |
| AAFS Registration Open | 6:45 AM - 4:00 PM |
| Scientific Sessions | TBA |
| The Forensic Exchange (exhibit hall) | 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM |
| Passport to Prizes in The Forensic Exchange (exhibit hall) | 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM |
| Poster Sessions | 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM |
| Luncheon #4: Deriving Forensic Intelligence Using Artificial Intelligence | 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM |
| Luncheon #5: Failure to do the Fundamentals: The Forensic Investigation of the Titan Submersible and OceanGate | 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM |
| Luncheon #6: Postmortem Computed Tomography (PMCT) Basics and Beyond: A Game of Jeopardy for Strong Stomachs | 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM |