Theresa Meli holds a Bachelor of Science in Forensic Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Ohio Northern University, and a Master of Science in Forensic Toxicology from the University of Florida. In 2025, she earned board certification from the American Board of Forensic Toxicologists (D-ABFT-FT). Her career in toxicology began with an ongoing internship at the Lucas County Coroner’s Office Toxicology Laboratory during her undergraduate studies, where she conducted preliminary and confirmatory testing across various biological matrices and contributed to assay validation on LC/MS/MS instrumentation. Theresa continued her professional development at Quest Diagnostics, initially working in the Oral Fluid Toxicology Laboratory, where she performed specimen extractions and data analysis. She now serves as a Scientist in the Toxicology Research & Development department, focusing on the development and validation of innovative forensic and clinical toxicology assays, with a particular emphasis on novel psychoactive substances (NPS) research. Her responsibilities include maintaining and enhancing the NPS testing panel, monitoring emerging drug trends, and tracking patient positivity rates.