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Anna Barbaro

President, Worldwide Association of Women Forensic Experts

Anna Barbaro serves as President of the Worldwide Association of Women Forensic Experts, an honor member of various scientific associations, reviewer for several international scientific journals and is a  Member of the Editorial Committee of international scientific journals. Anna has been an invited speaker at various national and international conferences, is an organizer of courses and conferences about Forensic Sciences, and a member of the Scientific Committee of several courses and conferences. She is the Director of the Studio Indagini Mediche E Forensi (SIMEF) laboratory (Italy), a researcher at the University of Alcalà (Spain), and professor in several degree and post-degree courses about Forensic science.

Anna Barbaro

Jo-Anne Bright

Environmental Science and Research Limited (ESR) New Zealand

Jo-Anne Bright is a Senior Science Leader within the Forensic Biology group at the Institute of Environmental Science and Research Limited (ESR) New Zealand, where she has worked since 1999. Jo is one of the co developers of STRmix™, expert software for the interpretation of forensic DNA profiles and the new Australasian standard.

Jo-Anne Bright

Michael Coble

Executive Director, Center for Human Identification, UNTHSC

Michael Coble, PhD, is an Associate Professor and the Executive Director of the Center for Human Identification at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, Texas. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and a member of the International Society for Forensic Genetics. He serves as a commissioner of the Texas Forensic Science Commission and is an invited guest at the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM).

Michael Coble

John Collins

Expertise Coach, Facilitator, and Author

John Collins is a leadership and expertise coach, facilitator, and author of 3 books on forensic science. His fourth book, The New Superior, was published in 2022.  John specializes in helping people, teams, and organizations in authoritative, high-responsibility occupations requiring high levels of expertise. About half of John’s clients work in forensic science.

John Collins

Marsha Deitz

AABB

Marsha Deitz has worked for AABB as the staff Lead Assessor for Relationship Testing since January 2010. Marsha is a Certified Quality Auditor with ASQ, a certified lead auditor for ISO/IEC 17025, a forensic scientist and licensed Medical Technologist.

Marsha Deitz

Kelly Elkins

Professor of Chemistry, Towson University

Kelly Elkins, PhD, is Professor of Chemistry and co-Director of the TU Human Remains Identification Laboratory at Towson University and a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and the American Chemical Society.

Kelly Elkins

Ashley Flowers

Founder of AudioChuck | Podcaster | Best-Selling Author | Advocate

Ashley Flowers is the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of audiochuck, an Indiana-based, award-winning, independent media company with 10+ chart-topping podcasts and over 2 billion listener downloads. Ashley is committed to redefining true crime and setting new standards within independent media. Driven by her passion for advocacy, Flowers founded the nonprofit Season of Justice, which offers financial resources to both investigative agencies and families to help solve cold cases. To date, Season of Justice has granted over $1 million for DNA analysis and other essential resources to help bring resolution to families of victims.

Ashley Flowers

Kimberly Gin

Retired Coroner, Sacramento County

Kimberly Gin retired from her role as Coroner for Sacramento County in 2022 and now runs her own consultancy, Kim Gin Professional Solutions, LLC. As the First Past President of the California State Coroners' Association and a member of the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators, she is well-regarded in her field. Her notable achievements include utilizing Rapid DNA to identify disaster victims in the Camp Fire and Santa Barbara Dive Boat Fire and using Investigative Genetic Genealogy to solve multiple cold cases.

Kimberly Gin

Simone Gittelson

Professor of Forensic Statistics, The George Washington University | DC Department of Forensic Sciences

Simone Gittelson, PhD, is Professor of Forensic Statistics at The George Washington University and works at the DC Department of Forensic Sciences.  She is specialized in the development and use of probabilistic models (e.g., Bayesian networks) for the evaluation and interpretation of scientific evidence. Her areas of research include the interpretation of DNA results given sub-source level propositions, probabilistic genotyping, the interpretation of biological results given activity level propositions, and the application of Bayesian inference, Bayesian networks, and decision theory to the evaluation of forensic science results.

Simone Gittelson

Dr. Claire Glynn

Associate Professor, University of New Haven

Dr. Glynn, who joined the University of New Haven in 2014, teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in forensic science, focused on forensic biology, forensic DNA analysis, and forensic/investigative genetic genealogy (F/IGG). Her research interests are focused F/IGG, and a broad range of applications for this novel investigatory tool. This includes investigating the effects of degraded samples and novel technologies, establishing best practices, the international feasibility of this tool, historical applications, and ethical considerations, to name just a few. Her other research interests include Rapid DNA analysis, RNA (mRNA and miRNA) analysis, Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNPs) applications, and DNA Methylation markers.

Dr. Claire Glynn

Ed Green

University of California, Santa Cruz, Dovetail Genomics, Claret Bio, Astrea Forensics

Ed Green received his B.S. in Genetics at the University of Georgia in 1997 and Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley in 2005. He was a pioneer in the field of high-throughput sequencing of ancient DNA as the lead bioinformatics scientist on the Neanderthal genome project. He is currently Professor of Biomolecular Engineering at the University of California, Santa Cruz and founder of Dovetail Genomics, Claret Bio, and Astrea Forensics.

Ed Green

Douglas Hares

Rapid DNA Implementation Program Advisor for the FBI’s Biometric Analysis Section

Dr. Hares is the Rapid DNA Implementation Program Advisor for the FBI’s Biometric Analysis Section.  He joined the DNA Analysis Unit II of the FBI Laboratory in 2000 as a Forensic Examiner.  In 2006, Dr. Hares transferred to the CODIS Unit where he served as the NDIS Custodian for over 13 years. 

Douglas Hares

Cydne Holt

Expert Consultant

Dr. Cydne Holt’s 28-year professional career has been dedicated to forensic science. Cydne currently serves as an expert consultant, bridging advanced genomics and forensic DNA operations to increase solvability of violent crimes and unidentified human remains cases. 

Cydne Holt

Susan Horan

DNA Specialist, Forensic Science & Cold Case Unit, Kings County District Attorney's Office

Ms. Horan has testified approximately 100 times in New York State and federal courts. She is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and the International Society for Forensic Genetics. She was a scientific advisor to the Department of Justice sponsored program: Sexual Assault: Medical and Forensic Management: A Virtual Practicum. Furthermore, Ms. Horan is a and a co-author of “The Forensic Corner” for the New York Prosecutor’s Training Institute (NYPTI) Empire State Prosecutor’s Encyclopedia.

Susan Horan

Tracey Johnson

Supervisory Physical Scientist, National Institute of Justice, Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences

Tracey Johnson brings experience with traditional and challenged samples using autosomal STRs, Y-STRs, mitochondrial DNA and SNP analysis to the position. Her background also includes experience with NGS techniques, familial analysis, laboratory efficiencies, high-through-put processing and LIMS testing and evaluation. In her current role, she oversees NIJ’s forensic biology research and development portfolio which seeks to advance technologies across the forensic biology spectrum.

Tracey Johnson

Tim Kalafut

Associate Professor of Forensic Science, Sam Houston State University

After over twenty years as a practicing forensic DNA analyst, most with the US Army Crime Lab, Tim Kalafut made a mid-life career change into the world of academia. His new role allows him to have freedom to take on new projects, and hopefully shorten the learning curve for the next generation of forensic scientists.

Tim Kalafut

Jarrah Kennedy

Senior Biology Criminalist, Kansas City Police Crime Laboratory

Currently, Jarrah is an assistant DNA supervisor and also serves as the Chair for the Human Forensic Biology Subcommittee (OSAC). The highlight of Jarrah’s career thus far has been participating in the NIST/NIJ Expert Working Group on Human Factors in Forensic DNA Interpretation since 2020. Jarrah’s current passion is to improve how we communicate our biological results as well as how we can help our community effectively transition into evaluations of our results given activity level propositions (if that is the issue in the case).

Jarrah Kennedy

Turi King

Scientist | Presenter | Speaker | Author

Professor Turi King is a Canadian/British geneticist. She started her career as an archaeologist in Canada before reading for a degree in Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Cambridge before moving into genetics, Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys, the inventor of DNA fingerprinting being on her PhD panel. She combined these two areas of expertise leading on how to excavate under clean conditions and then leading the genetic identification of the remains of King Richard III. She now co-presents BBC DNA Family Secrets where she uses DNA to help people find missing family and learn more about their ancestry.

Turi King

Eugene Lien

Assistant Director, NYC-OCME Department of Forensic Biology

Eugene Lien is an Assistant Director at the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner, Department of Forensic Biology and has been there for over 22 years. During his career at the NYC-OCME, he has been the Quality Assurance Manager and the DNA Technical Leader. He is currently in charge of his laboratory’s Training Unit and LIMS Operations.

Eugene Lien

Michelle Madrid

Senior Criminalist and Assistant DNA Technical Leader, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

Michelle Madrid has 22 years of crime laboratory experience, most of which has been in the DNA and Crime Scene units. She is currently serving as the Assistant DNA Technical Leader for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Michelle's areas of interest include researching and validating new methods and technologies.

Michelle Madrid

Pamela Marshall

Director, Duquesne University

Dr. Marshall has extensive graduate and undergraduate teaching experience in the forensic disciplines of serology, DNA, and microscopy. Her research interests include low copy number DNA, human and wildlife DNA identification challenges, nanoparticle technology, pressure cycling technology, and PCR enhancement.

Pamela Marshall

Wendy McLean

Genealogist, Center for Human Identification at the University of North Texas Health & Science Center

Wendy began using genetic genealogy with cases of unknown or misattributed parentage in 2017. In 2020 she brought her skills into the world of Human Identification and since that time has helped with cases through Redgrave Research, DNA Doe Project, Cold Case Coalition/Intermountain Forensics and Bode Technology.

Wendy McLean

Juan Carlos Alvarez Merino

Universidad de Granada

Juan Carlos Alvarez, PhD, is an Associate Professor and the Associate Director of the Genetic Identification Laboratory at the University of Granada in Spain, where he has worked since 1991. He is the coordinator of the identification program for victims of the Spanish Civil War at the region of Andalusia and responsible for the DNA Database.

Juan Carlos Alvarez Merino

Jason Moran

President – JEMM Consulting, LLC

Jason P. Moran is the President of JEMM Consulting, LLC. Jason is also a member of the Cook County Sheriff’s Office where he has served for twenty-five (25) years. He currently holds the rank of Commander of Police. In that role, Jason leads the Forensic Services Initiative which is responsible for the investigation of human identification cases, complex deaths, cold missing person and homicide cases, and death care industry incidents.

Jason Moran

Nicole Novroski

Assistant Professor, Forensic Science Program (Dept of Anthropology), University of Toronto

Dr. Nicole Novroski is currently an Assistant Professor in the Forensic Science Program (Dept of Anthropology) at the University of Toronto. Her research focus throughout her PhD, and now as a faculty member, is DNA mixture deconvolution. Nicole is also exploring a variety of new approaches and methods for forensic DNA typing. 

Nicole Novroski

Craig O’Connor

Deputy Director, Forensic Biology Department, New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner

Craig O’Connor is a Deputy Director in the Department of Forensic Biology at the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner, the largest public DNA Lab in the country with over 200 analysts and technicians. He manages the daily operations in the department ensuring that the analytical work conforms to state and national accreditation requirements and federal quality assurance standards.

Craig O’Connor

Niki Osborne

Forensic Research Scientist | Project Management Support, National Institute of Standards and Technology (Contractor)

Dr. Niki Osborne specializes in understanding and improving human factors issues in forensic evidence interpretation and presentation. Her primary research focus has been on the role of contextual information and potential for cognitive and contextual bias and in bloodstain pattern analysis. From this research, she has developed practical methods to manage contextual information for bloodstain pattern analysis in the laboratory and at the crime scene.

Niki Osborne

Tiffany Roy

Consultant, ForensicAid, LLC

Tiffany Roy MSFS, JD is a Forensic DNA expert with over thirteen years of forensic biology experience in both public and private laboratories in the United States. She has processed thousands of DNA samples and thousands of cases over the course of her career. She has provided expert witness testimony in more than one hundred cases in state, federal and international courts. She instructs undergraduates at Palm Beach Atlantic University; University of Maryland Global Campus; and Southern New Hampshire University. She currently acts as a consultant for attorneys and the media in the area of forensic biology through her firm, ForensicAid, LLC.

Tiffany Roy

Julie Conover Sikorsky

Forensic Scientist Supervisor, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office

Julie Conover Sikorsky is a Forensic Scientist Supervisor, a.k.a. Forensic Biology Unit Manager, at the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office in West Palm Beach, Florida. She has been employed by the PBSO for over twenty years, first as a Senior Forensic Scientist, then as the manager of the FBU. Julie is also a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and ABC certified in molecular biology.

Julie Conover Sikorsky

Samantha Wandzek

Technical Leader, Signature Science

Samantha Wandzek is the Technical Leader of Signature Science’s Forensic DNA Laboratory in Austin, Texas. Ms. Wandzek oversees all technical aspects of the laboratory including validation and
implementation of all forensic methods. In addition, she continues to function as a Forensic DNA Analyst by reporting and performing technical review of DNA analyses and case files.

Samantha Wandzek

Ray Wickenheiser

Director for the New York State Police Crime Lab System

Ray has over 40 years of experience working in the field of forensic science.  His areas of expertise include crime lab administration, quality management, conflict resolution, forensic DNA and mixture interpretation, serology, hair and fiber trace evidence, physical matching and comparison, glass fracture analysis, forensic grain comparison and forensic investigative genetic genealogy

Ray Wickenheiser

Richard Wivell

Senior Scientist, Institute of Environmental Science and Research Limited

Richard Wivell is a Senior Scientist within the STRmixTM  team at the Institute of Environmental Science and Research Limited, New Zealand where he has worked since 2008.  Before moving to New Zealand, Richard was a Forensic Scientist for the Metropolitan Police Service and the Forensic Science Service in the UK.

Richard Wivell