Chair, Department of Pathology
Professor, Department of Pathology
Biosketch
Joyce L. deJong, DO, became the founding chair of the Department of Pathology of Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine (WMed) in 2014. The department has grown significantly in both numbers with a wide range of specialties. , the Medical Examiner program has expanded from three counties to twelve counties, and the department has expanded to include the Division of Neuropathology,a Research Histology Laboratory, and the Toxicology Division.
Dr. deJong received her Bachelor of Science degree from Grand Valley State University and her Doctor of Osteopathy degree from Michigan State University. Dr. deJong completed her anatomic pathology residency through the Grand Rapids Area Medical Education Center and Michigan State University at Butterworth Hospital, Blodgett Memorial Medical Center, St. Mary’s Hospital and Metropolitan Hospital. After completing her residency in pathology, and a fellowship in forensic pathology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. deJong returned to Michigan, serving as the Medical Director of the Forensic Pathology Division of Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, Michigan. In this position, she served as the Medical Examiner/Deputy Medical Examiner for multiple counties in Michigan, overseeing a robust medical examiner and forensic pathology consultation service. While in Lansing, she was an associate clinical professor at MSU in both the College of Human Medicine and the College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Dr. deJong has extensive experience as a Medical Examiner, currently serving in this role for 12 counties in Michigan. She serves on the federal mass fatality team, and has deployed to mass disaster/fatality events over a dozen times during her career. She currently is the Chair of the Medical Examiner Working group, a team of multiple individuals focused on improving the Medical Examiner and Death Investigation process in Michigan. She has served as the President of the Michigan Association of Medical Examiners for multiple terms, and is a fellow in the National Association of Medical Examiners and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.
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Board Certification
- American Board of Pathology (Pathology - Anatomic)
- American Board of Pathology (Pathology - Forensic)
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Education and Training
- Fellowship 1999, Forensic Pathology, Emory University
- Residency 1996, Anatomic Pathology, Michigan State University
- DO 1988, Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University
- BS 1984, Biomedical Sciences, Grand Valley State University
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Publications
Cornelison J.B., Isaac C.V., Devota C.J., Billian J., Brown T.T., deJong J.L., Douglas E., Fisher-Hubbard A.O., Lackey-Cornelison W.L., Prahlow J.A., Shattuck B.L. A comparison of three decalcification agents for assessments of cranial fracture histomorphology Journal of Forensic Sciences. 2022;67:1157-1166.
Iverson G.L., Deep-Soboslay A., Hyde T.M., Kleinman J.E., Erskine B., Fisher-Hubbard A., deJong J.L., Castellani R.J. Suicide in Older Adult Men Is Not Related to a Personal History of Participation in Football Frontiers in Neurology. 2021;12
Castellani R.J., Smith M., Bailey K., Perry G., Dejong J.L. Neuropathology in Consecutive Forensic Consultation Cases with a History of Remote Traumatic Brain Injury Advances in Alzheimer's Disease. 2020;7:167-175.
Castellani R.J., Tripathy A., Shade A., Erskine B., Bailey K., Grande A., Perry G., Dejong J.L. No Evidence of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Pathology or Increased Neurodegenerative Proteinopathy in Former Military Service Members Advances in Alzheimer's Disease. 2020;7:115-126.
deJong J.L., Lee J., Grande A., Huffman C., Bielby C., Brown T. Positional Asphyxia in Opioid-Related Deaths: Is It Being Overlooked? Journal of Forensic Sciences. 2020;65:2008-2012.
Castellani R.J., Smith M., Bailey K., Perry G., Dejong J.L. Neuropathology in Consecutive Forensic Consultation Cases with a History of Remote Traumatic Brain Injury Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. 2019;72:683-691.
Morgan L., Johnson M., Cornelison J., Isaac C., deJong J., Prahlow J. Two Novel Methods for Enhancing Postmortem Fingerprint Recovery from Mummified Remains Journal of Forensic Sciences. 2019;64:602-606.
Tripathy A., Shade A., Erskine B., Bailey K., Grande A., Dejong J.J., Perry G., Castellani R.J. No Evidence of Increased Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Pathology or Neurodegenerative Proteinopathy in Former Military Service Members: A Preliminary Study Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. 2019;67:1277-1289.
Wells K., Castellani R., deJong J. Can Neck Contusions in Unexplained Pediatric Deaths be Explained by Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation? Journal of Forensic Sciences. 2019;64:770-772.
Chao J., Barnard J., deJong J., Prahlow J. A Case Series of Anterograde and Retrograde Vascular Projectile Embolization Academic Forensic Pathology. 2018;8:392-406.
Isaac C., Cornelison J., Castellani R., deJong J. A Unique Type of Birth Trauma Mistaken for Abuse Journal of Forensic Sciences. 2018;63:602-607.
Morgan L., Johnson M., Cornelison J., Isaac C., deJong J., Prahlow J. Autopsy Fingerprint Technique Using Fingerprint Powder Journal of Forensic Sciences. 2018;63:262-265.
Prahlow S., Renner A., Grande A., deJong J., Prahlow J. Recreational Sporting Activity Vehicle-Related Deaths Journal of Forensic Sciences. 2018;63:460-468.
Castellani R., Dejong J., Schmidt C. Homicidal abuse of young children: A historical perspective Journal of Forensic Science and Medicine. 2017;3:97-110.
Castellani R.J., DeJong J.L., Schmidt C.J. Commentary on: Schuman MJ, Hutchins KD. Severe retinal hemorrhages with retinoschisis in infants are not pathognomonic for abusive head trauma. J Forensic Sci 2017;62(3):807–11 Journal of Forensic Sciences. 2017;62:1677-1678.
Chen H., deJong J. Increased Lung Weights in Drug-related Fatalities Journal of Forensic Sciences. 2017;62:1632-1634.
Finlayson G., Chavarria M., Chang S., Gardner T., Grande A., MacCallum C., deJong J.L., Quesnelle K. Gabapentin in Mixed Drug Fatalities: Does this Frequent Analyte Deserve More Attention? Academic Forensic Pathology. 2017;7:99-111.
Christensen A.M., Passalacqua N.V., Schmunk G.A., Fudenberg J., Hartnett K., Mitchell R.A., Love J.C., deJong J., Petaros A. The value and availability of forensic anthropological consultation in medicolegal death investigations Forensic Science, Medicine, and Pathology. 2015;11:438-441.
Isaac C.V., Cornelison J.B., deJong J.L. An Investigative Tool for Detecting Elder Abuse Academic Forensic Pathology. 2014;4:524-531.
deJong J. Michigan: The Consequences of Legislative Change and Competition for Death Investigation Turf in Michigan Academic Forensic Pathology. 2014;4:54-59.
Tosun C., Kurland D., Mehta R., Castellani R., Dejong J., Kwon M., Woo S., Gerzanich V., Simard J. Inhibition of the sur1-trpm4 channel reduces neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment in subarachnoid hemorrhage Stroke. 2013;44:3522-3528.
Shvartsbeyn M., Phillips D.G.K., Markey M., Morrison A., Dejong J.L., Castellani R.J. Cocaine-induced intracerebral hemorrhage in a patient with cerebral amyloid angiopathy Journal of Forensic Sciences. 2010;55:1389-1392.
Abela G., Aziz K., Vedre A., Pathak D., Talbott J., DeJong J. Effect of Cholesterol Crystals on Plaques and Intima in Arteries of Patients With Acute Coronary and Cerebrovascular Syndromes American Journal of Cardiology. 2009;103:959-968.
Gonzalez-Cuyar L., Tavora F., Shaw K., Castellani R., Dejong J. Sudden unexpected death in lymphocytic hypophysitis American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology. 2009;30:61-63.
Hanzlick R., Nolte K., Dejong J. The medical examiner/coroner's guide for contaminated deceased body management American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology. 2009;30:327-338.
Gonzalez-Cuyar L.F., Morrison A.L., Perry G., DeJong J.J., Smith M.A., Castellani R.J. Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis: A critical update Future Neurology. 2008;3:491-501.
Nolte K., Hanzlick R.L., Payne D., Kroger A., Oliver W., Baker A., McGowan D., DeJong J.L., Bell M., Guarner J., Shieh W.J., Zaki S.R. Medical examiners, coroners, and biologic terrorism: a guidebook for surveillance and case management. MMWR. Recommendations and reports : Morbidity and mortality weekly report. Recommendations and reports / Centers for Disease Control. 2004;53:1-27.
Fenton T.W., DeJong J.L., Haut R.C. Punched with a fist: The etiology of a fatal depressed cranial fracture Journal of Forensic Sciences. 2003;48:277-281.
DeJong J.L., Adams T. Entrapment in small, enclosed spaces: A case report and points to consider regarding the mechanism of death Journal of Forensic Sciences. 2001;46:708-713.
DeJong J., Hanzlick R. Level of agreement between opinions of medical examiner investigators and forensic pathologist medical examiners regarding the manner of death American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology. 2000;21:11-20.
DeJong J., Cohle S., Busse F. Fatal stercoral ulcer perforation: Case report American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology. 1996;17:58-60.
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Presentations
- COVID-19 Pandemic, Social Change, and a Rise in Overdose Deaths. Bielby C, Kothari C, Mecklenburg K, deJong J, 40th Annual Kalamazoo Community Medical and Health Sciences Research Day, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 04/2022
- Sars-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Experience at an Academic Medical Examiners Office. Prahlow JA, Jones P, Bailey K, Grande A, Obead A, Pink C, Cornelison J, Douglas E, Shattuck B, Fisher-Hubbard A, Brown T, deJong J, National Association of Medical Examiners 2021 Annual Meeting, West Palm Beach, Florida, 10/2021
- Conducted Electrical Weapon Temporally-Related Deaths: Case Reviews of Medicolegal Death Investigations and Autopsies with Manner of Death Considerations. Brown TT, Prahlow JA, deJong JL, National Association of Medical Examiners 2021 Annual Meeting, West Palm Beach, Florida, 10/2021
- Forensic Autopsy Cases with Eye Trauma. Bui T, Prahlow SP, Douglas E, deJong J, Grande A, Barnard J, Lantz P, Prahlow JA, National Association of Medical Examiners 2021 Annual Meeting, West Palm Beach, Florida, 10/2021
- The Contribution of Positional Asphyxia to Opioid Related Deaths. deJong J, Lee J, Huffman C, Grande A, Brown T, Bielby C, 38th Annual Kalamazoo Community Medical and Health Sciences Virtual Research Day, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 04/2021
- Positional asphyxia in opioid-related deaths: Is it being overlooked?. deJong JL, Lee J, Huffman C, Grande A, Bielby C, Brown T, National Association of Medical Examiners 2020 Annual Meeting, Virtual, Online, 10/2020