Your case isn’t theoretical. Your sessions shouldn’t be either.
The full ISHI 36 General Session agenda is now available—and if you’re a working DNA analyst, this is where your next breakthrough starts.
This year’s lineup doesn’t just check boxes. It tackles the pressure points you’re navigating every day:
- Cold cases that won’t close
- Protocols that feel too rigid for reality
- Technology that promises a lot, but needs real-world validation
- Mixture results that are admissible—but possibly misleading
- Identification efforts stalling in courtrooms or cultures that aren’t ready for DNA
And it’s all happening live this November in Palm Beach. Here are 10 sessions you’ll want to bookmark.
Never Fear—An SOP Deviation is Here
- Cold case? Tight protocol? Here’s how to solve around it.
When the evidence didn’t fit the process, one analyst made it work—with validated deviations, documented adjustments, and courtroom-safe results. This session is about doing the right thing right, even when the SOP says no.
Unmixing the Mixture with Next-Gen Sequencing
- Traditional CE hit a wall. Here’s what NGS + PG unlocked.
You’ll see how mixture interpretation shifts when you upgrade the data and the tools—and how this combo gave investigators answers CE simply couldn’t produce.
The Human Element: Can PG Mask Exculpatory Results?
- Low LR doesn’t always mean low risk.
Defense DNA specialist Allison Lewis brings a critical view from the other side of the courtroom—and shows why analysts must be alert to when a “weak inclusion” might be masking an outright exclusion.
When DNA Clashes with Culture: Botswana Case Studies
- Science says one thing. The family says another.
Real cases where cultural beliefs, fear, and misinformation led families to reject confirmed DNA matches. This session goes deep into the ethics, communication gaps, and tools needed when identification isn’t just about science.
No More Mister “Nice Guy”
- Three cold cases. Three SNP tools. One big takeaway.
You’ll walk away knowing when to use targeted sequencing, arrays, or WGS—and how analysts selected the right tool based on case type, degradation, and prior testing.
Brothers by Accident
- Two sets of twins. Switched at birth. Identified decades later.
This jaw-dropping case shows the power of human identification—and the legal, emotional, and societal ripple effects when it takes over 25 years to find the truth.
From Roll to Response: Tabletop DNA Training With a Twist
- Stress-testing your Rapid DNA process—with dice.
This session breaks down a brilliant tabletop simulation that forced analysts to adapt to chaos using randomized disaster variables. It’s creative, real, and immediately replicable in your own lab.
The Vasa Warship Project
- NGS meets anthropology—and rewrites history.
You’ll see how analysts used SNPs, phenotyping, and lineage testing to re-identify remains from a 17th-century warship, challenge prior assumptions, and bring new meaning to public-facing science.
Color Me Impressed: 8-Dye CE vs. Degraded DNA
- More loci. Smaller amplicons. Cleaner profiles.
Get the direct comparison of 6-dye vs. 8-dye systems on degraded samples—and see why the Spectrum CE platform is changing how we handle hair shafts, bone, and fired casings.
Expanding Forensic Services for the Missing and Unidentified
- When local labs can’t get there, this team does.
The CHI team shares how they support rural and tribal communities with free kits, DNA analysis, and sample logistics—plus real stories of how they’re closing long-cold cases without overburdening local labs.
If you’ve ever sat in a session and thought, “That’s interesting—but it’s not going to help my lab on Monday,” this agenda flips the script. Bring home more than CEUs. Bring back tools, strategies, and stories that will make your next case stronger.