Meet Your ISHI 37 Speakers: Mark Perlin
A state crime lab ran DNA from a gun and got an inconclusive result: multiple contributors, no clean match. Probabilistic genotyping software reran the same evidence and returned a likelihood ratio of 11.5 trillion to one. That gap, an inconclusive read against a number that precise, is exactly what got challenged on appeal. The Third […]
Meet Your ISHI 37 Speakers: Kevin Lord
A SNP profile can upload cleanly to GEDmatch, clear every filter, and still be wrong. False-negative segments can knock a real relative off the match list entirely. False-positive segments can send an investigator chasing someone with no biological connection to the sample at all. Astrea Forensics has reanalyzed sequencing data originally generated by other labs […]
Meet Your ISHI 37 Speakers: Stacey Baker
In 2022, pieces of tissue started washing ashore along the Atlantic coast between Palm Beach and Broward Counties. STR and Y-STR testing confirmed the remains were human, and male. There were no bones to estimate age or ancestry. There was no missing persons report to check against. Two labs ran the DNA independently and got […]
Meet Your ISHI 36 Speakers: Carlos Morales
Behind every unidentified person is a family waiting for answers—and for Carlos Morales, that human connection is at the heart of his work. As part of the Center for Human Identification (CHI) at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, Carlos has spent years advancing the use of forensic DNA to reunite names with […]
Meet Your ISHI 36 Speakers: Vanessa Lynch
In regions affected by conflict, survivors of sexual violence often face a second injustice: the absence of forensic systems that can hold perpetrators accountable. For Vanessa Lynch, founder of DNAforAfrica, that gap is not just a technical challenge—it’s a moral one. At ISHI, Vanessa will present “Samples2Solutions: Advancing Forensic DNA Capacity to Support Survivors of […]
Meet Your ISHI 36 Speakers: Walther Parson
Some cases capture the imagination long after the evidence has aged. The story of Kaspar Hauser, a 19th-century figure shrouded in mystery and myth, is one such case—and it has revealed an unexpected lesson for modern forensic genetics. At ISHI, Walther Parson will present “The Kaspar Hauser Enigma: Historical Myths and Scientific Controversy.” By revisiting […]
Meet Your ISHI 36 Speakers: Cristina Servidio
Cold cases can linger for decades, waiting for the right tools to bring answers forward. For Cristina Servidio, Senior DNA Analyst at DNA Labs International, that challenge comes down to one question: when traditional STR testing fails, what else can DNA reveal? At ISHI, Cristina will present “No More Mister ‘Nice Guy’: A Look […]
Meet Your ISHI 36 Speakers: Brian Hoey
Forensic DNA analysts work at the intersection of science, justice, and relentless pressure. As caseloads grow and expectations rise, so too does the toll on the people behind the bench. Few understand this better than Brian Hoey, whose career has spanned casework, leadership, and deep engagement with the forensic community. At ISHI, Brian will join […]
Meet Your ISHI 36 Speakers: Mohamed Elsayed
Backlogs in sexual assault kit testing remain one of the most stubborn challenges in forensic DNA, with turnaround times that can stretch for months. For Mohamed Elsayed, an engineer-turned-innovator, that reality sparked a bold question: what if analysis didn’t have to wait for the lab at all? At ISHI, Mohamed will present “Toward Analysis at […]