DNA Identification of Unknown World War II Remains from the Tokyo Prison Fire
Interview written by Nickolas Walker, MSFS (AFMES-AFDIL, SNA International) and Chelsea Timmerman, MSFS (AFMES-AFDIL, Amentum). Reposted from the ISHI Report with permission. Beginning in February of 1945, a series of incendiary air raids were performed on major Japanese cities by the US Army Air Forces (USAAF) in attempt to force an early surrender in World […]
Funding Justice: How Season of Justice is Helping Solve Cold Cases with Advanced DNA Testing
What happens when investigators know DNA testing could solve a case—but the budget won’t allow it? That’s where Season of Justice steps in. At ISHI 35, Kendall Mills, Executive Director of Season of Justice, shared how this nonprofit is bridging the funding gap for cold case DNA testing. With 218 cases funded since 2020, they’re […]
This Week in Forensic Science
No one has hours to scour the papers to keep up with the latest news, so we’ve curated the top news stories in the field of Forensic Science for this week. Here’s what you need to know to get out the door! Opinion: Who’s Afraid of Madeleine McCann? (Forensic – 6/30/2025) Maddie McCann disappeared on May […]
Preserving Paradise: Inside Florida’s Loggerhead Marinelife Center
Interview written by Katie Goebel, Promega. Reposted from the ISHI Report with permission. Forty years ago, Eleanor Fletcher, affectionately known as “The Turtle Lady,” embarked on a mission that would transform Juno Beach into a global hub for sea turtle conservation. Inspired by the remarkable abundance of nesting turtles on the local shoreline, Eleanor began […]
Strengthening Forensic Science: Training the Next Generation & Cold Case Innovations
How do we train forensic scientists to stay in the field—and what’s next for cold case investigations? At ISHI 35, Julie Sikorsky, Forensic Biology Manager at the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, shared her insights on: 🔬 Fixing the forensic pipeline—how to recruit, train, and retain skilled forensic scientists 🧬 The evolution of cold case […]
Working with 80-Year-Old Bones: Forensic Challenges from the Spanish Civil War
What does it take to extract truth from the past—when all that remains are fragile bones buried for decades? In this interview, former ISHI Student Ambassador Ahana Chatterjee sits down with Dr. Maria Saiz Guinaldo, a forensic biologist and postdoc investigator at the University of Granada, to discuss her work identifying human remains from the […]
Revolutionizing Mass Disaster Response: A No-Cost Toolkit for Rapid DNA Deployment
When disaster strikes, forensic scientists need answers—fast. What if they had a ready-to-use toolkit for deploying Rapid DNA in mass casualty events? At ISHI 35, Taylor Koepfler, a forensic scientist, introduced a no-cost, publicly available Mass Disaster Response Toolkit designed to help agencies immediately deploy Rapid DNA technology during crises like wildfires, building collapses, and […]
This Week in Forensic Science
No one has hours to scour the papers to keep up with the latest news, so we’ve curated the top news stories in the field of Forensic Science for this week. Here’s what you need to know to get out the door! MSU Forensics Lab uses AI to Help Identify Human Remains (WLNS6 – 6/12/2025) Forensic […]
Uncovering History: How Forensic DNA Identified African Ancestry in a Forgotten Burial Site
At ISHI 35, Martin MacStudy, a former forensic biology master’s student at Virginia Commonwealth University, shared his groundbreaking research on the East Marshall Street Well, where over 500 human remains were uncovered in Richmond, VA. Using mitochondrial DNA and next-generation sequencing (NGS), his work is helping to reconstruct identities and reveal the ancestry of individuals […]