Rieders Family Science Lab

The Rieders Family Science Lab is an international forensic and clinical reference laboratory that is unsurpassed in its scope of toxicology tests, accuracy of results, scientific expertise, and innovation. The state-of-the-art headquarters includes clinical, forensic, and research facilities; a dedicated and secure crime laboratory, staffed by more than 200 highly trained professionals. National Medical Services Lab is passionate about promoting public health and safety.

“Following a successful career as Chief Toxicologist for the City of Philadelphia, Dr. Fredric Rieders founded the National Medical Services Labs (later NMS Labs) in Willow Grove, PA in 1970. Once the company was successfully established as a leading international forensic and clinical toxicology laboratory, he fulfilled another lifelong goal by creating a non-profit, charitable organization to conduct forensic science research and provide education and training to high school and college aged students beginning their scientific careers. That organization is the Fredric Rieders Family Renaissance Foundation, located in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, now housed in the building that had been the original home of NMS Labs. Today it boasts classrooms, laboratories and state of the art analytical instrumentation to continue providing mentorship and fostering a love of learning and scientific discovery in these young scientists” (frfoundation.org).

Early on in his career, Rieders worked as the City of Philadelphia’s Chief toxicologist, researching “such mysterious topics as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), Legionnaire’s Disease and heavy metal poisoning. During this time, he was also the Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology at Thomas Jefferson University, where he taught Medical and Graduate students” (frfoundation.org). Fredric Rieders, Ph.D. died at his home on November 26, at the age of 83.

Through the years, Dr. Rieders conducted sophisticated laboratory tests and provided expert testimonies in a variety of high-profile cases, including the case of the serial killer of helpless hospital patients; Dr. Michael Swango, for which Dr. Rieders received a Bronze Eagle from the Department of Veterans Affairs; the Libby Zion case that led to legislation affecting hospital care; the rat poison murder of Robert Curly by his wife, and the O.J. Simpson trial.

The Fredric Rieders Family Renaissance Foundation offers programs to educate and train current, and future, professional forensic scientists. The foundation uses its forensic science programs and resources as a means to motivate and educate young people and their teachers, with a special focus on providing support to members of communities that are demographically under-represented in the sciences and having challenging financial circumstances.