The Department of Forensic Medicine of SUMC is responsible for academic teaching and research in forensic medicine. It is affiliated to the Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology (a National Key Subject).

Our curriculum includes several courses on Forensic Medicine for the 5-year and the 7-year medical program. We also offer this course to undergraduate law students of Shantou University. Our graduate courses include Forensic Pathology, Forensic Clinical Medicine, Forensic Genetics, Forensic Toxicology and Forensic Psychiatry. We supervise doctorate and post-doctorate students in collaboration with the Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology.

In 1996 we established the Forensic Medicine Research Institute as the research arm of our department. Mainly focusing on forensic pathology and forensic clinical medicine, we have performed several studies on brain-stem injury, sudden cardiac death, forensic thanatology, forensic biomechanics and forensic entomology. These projects, many of which supported by the national and provincial government, have resulted in the publication of over 200 academic papers and several contributions to handbooks, textbooks and monographs.

Joining hands with our five affiliated hospitals, SUMC's Central Analytical Lab and Molecular Biology Center, and the Analysis Test Center of Shantou University, we founded the Shantou University Forensic Identification Center as a multi-disciplinary platform and combined expertise center on forensic pathology, forensic clinical medicine, forensic toxicology, forensic genetics, and forensic psychiatry.

With three specialized, modern laboratories at our disposal, we are continuously inventing and developing new technologies for forensic identification. To date, we have been granted a invention patent and a utility model patent, whilst several other invention patent applications are still pending. In addition, we utilize our advanced facilities and wide expertise to assist primary forensic examiners in highly-complex cases in the legal-medical practice.

There are currently 5 faculties in the Department of Forensic Medicine. Prof. Xiao-hu Xu, the current President of Shantou University, serves as Chairman of the Department. The Executive Director is Prof. Xiao-jun Yu.