When the Mass ID Plan Needed a Real Test, This Forensic Lab Reached for Dice
Most forensic laboratories have a mass identification plan. Far fewer have a reliable way to test it — one that doesn’t require pulling equipment off-site, coordinating logistics for a full deployment exercise, or halting casework to run a simulation. For the DNA unit at Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, that gap became the problem worth […]
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! Toronto Police Service Leverages Othram’s Forensic Sequencing Platform in a 2008 Sexual Assault Investigation […]
Dear Mentor: The Opportunity is Theirs First
A forensic lab manager sent the FLA mentors a question that comes up in most labs within the first year of someone stepping into management: when do you delegate a task to your team, and when is it better to handle it yourself? Some leaders may approach it as a time-management problem. Julie Sikorsky approaches […]
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! NYC’s Annual Missing Persons Day Aims to Find Answers for Loved Ones (CBSNews – […]
Why Age Estimation Models Need to Work for Everyone: A Q&A with ISHI Student Ambassador Maria Flores
Most age estimation models in forensic DNA were built on a linear assumption: that methylation changes at a predictable, constant rate across the lifespan. Maria Flores, a PhD candidate at UCLA, didn’t think that was right. Her research develops a non-linear model for age estimation using DNA methylation data — an approach she argues better […]
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! Federal Jury Convicts Armed Multi-Convicted Felon in Explosive Arson and Counterfeit Oxy Fentanyl Scheme […]
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! SAKI Funds Help Solve 40-Year-Old Cold Case (Police1 – 5/22/2026) On May 18, 2026, […]
Dear Mentor: The Mission Bridges the Gap
Two FLA members from different states sent the Forensic Leadership Alliance a version of the same question, working at different points in their careers. How can leaders bridge generational gaps while still mentoring new staff into confident professionals? What strategies actually work when people on the same team think differently about how the work gets […]
Is Your Extraction Instrument the Problem? A Q&A with ISHI Student Ambassador Laila Mansour
Most labs rely on their extraction instruments without stopping to ask whether they’re performing as expected. Laila Mansour did ask — and what she found had implications not just for her own lab at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, but for any lab running casework on aging equipment. Mansour’s research compared DNA yields from […]