805-641-4400

Physician Staff

Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office

Christopher Young, MD

Chief Medical Examiner

Dr. Young became the Ventura County Chief Medical Examiner in July of 2017. His undergraduate training was at Pepperdine University where he graduated Cum Laude with a B.S. in biology. He received his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. His postgraduate training in anatomic and clinical pathology took place at the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon. He trained in forensic pathology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Texas. He served as a forensic pathologist at the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office for thirteen years where he served on the Clackamas County Child Fatality Review Team. As a Clinical Assistant Professor in pathology at Oregon Health and Science University, he instructed physician residents and medical students. He maintains board certification through the American Board of Pathology in Anatomic and Forensic Pathology and is licensed to practice medicine in California. Throughout his practice of forensic pathology, Dr. Young has provided forensic training for detectives and medicolegal death investigators.

Othon Mena, MD

Assistant Chief Medical Examiner

Dr. Mena has been the Assistant Chief Medical Examiner since October 2017. He received his medical degree from the UCLA School of Medicine in Los Angeles, California. His postgraduate training in anatomic and clinical pathology took place at the UCLA Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. He trained in forensic pathology at the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was a forensic pathologist at the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office for more than ten years, Assistant Clinical Professor at the UCSD School of Medicine for nine years, and autopsy pathologist for the Sharp Health Care System in San Diego for nine years. He maintains board certification through the American Board of Pathology in Anatomic, Clinical, and Forensic Pathology, and is licensed to practice medicine in California. Other training includes a two-year research fellowship at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, and he received his undergraduate degree in Physiological Science from UCLA. Dr. Mena serves on the Ventura County Child Death Review Team and previously served in the same role in San Diego County. He is natively fluent in Spanish.

Joseph Vallone, MD

Associate Forensic Pathologist

Dr. Vallone joined the office in April of 2022 as an Associate Forensic Pathologist.  He graduated from the University of California Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts in English with a World Literature Concentration, and a minor in Spanish.  He earned his medical degree at the Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia.  He completed postgraduate training in anatomic and clinical pathology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.  He trained in forensic pathology at the Los Angeles Medical Examiner-Coroner Office, after which he served as a Deputy Medical Examiner for approximately 4 years.  During this time, he instructed medical students, residents, and fellows of the University of Southern California, the University of California Los Angeles, and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.  He maintains board certification through the American Board of Pathology in Anatomic and Forensic Pathology and is licensed to practice medicine in California.

Contact Us

Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office
3100 Foothill Rd.
Ventura, CA 93003
Tel: (805) 641-4400
Fax: (805) 641-4410

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