Human Identification Webinars

This webinar will detail the major updates made at the Washoe County Sheriff's Office Forensic Science Division. DNA Technical Leader Dave Jackson will describe these changes and discuss the improvement in services to the community that is expected to help solve crimes faster.

Dr. Lutz Roewer, Charité Berlin, Germany and Dr. Franz Neuhuber, Institute of Legal Medicine, Salzburg, Austria discuss which cases are most appropriate for Y-STR analysis, as well as how to interpret the results and present the data in a court proceeding.

The DNA Hit of the Year is a global program designed to recognize the value of DNA database technology to solve and prevent crime. Tim Schellberg, President of Gordon Thomas Honeywell Government Affairs (GTH-GA), will discuss the cases and results of the 4th annual DNA Hit of the Year program.

Learn about new approaches for more efficient analysis of skeletal remains. Sheree Hughes from Sam Houston State University will present a comparison of different methods for DNA extraction from bone. Rachel Oefelein from DNA Labs International will share streamlined Rapid DNA protocols for analysis of human remains in time-sensitive investigations such as disaster victim identification.

This webinar details how new sample triage assays and automated methods can help forensic DNA labs reduce backlog, improve turnaround times, and increase efficiency. David Miller from West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory discusses how the lab is a Y-screen assay to improve efficiency in sexual assault kit workflow. Gareth Stead from Thermo Fisher Scientific discusses how automated solutions address bottlenecks for each step in DNA processing.

Learn about CE analysis tools designed to minimize hands-on time and time spent on routine data review, enabling more complex sample analysis. Jaime Brachold from Thermo Fisher Scientific discusses how to streamline sample analysis by reducing pull-up artifacts. Robert O’Brien from NFSTC@FIU shares a comparison of the Applied Biosystems SeqStudio Genetic Analyzer and RapidHIT ID System for specific scenarios and sample types.

Dr. Walther Parson, Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria and Daniela Cuenca, M.S., California Department of Justice discuss how Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in forensics plays a pivotal role in the analysis of missing persons cases and remains from mass disaster and war, as well as in special casework such as the identification of The Romanov family. In criminal casework, mtDNA offers the chance of obtaining probative DNA results from hairs (with or without roots) deposited at crime scenes.

Targeted sequencing panels for mtDNA, STRs, ancestry and identity applications can serve as an adjunct to traditional CE-based STR analysis. Joe Chang, Thermo Fisher Scientific discusses how the Applied Biosystems Precision ID NGS System for human identification provides a seamless workflow for forensic laboratories. With just 15 minutes of hands-on time, the walk-away automation of the Ion Chef System provides forensic scientists with greater flexibility to process challenging forensic specimens.

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Since the launch of its Rapid DNA program in 2014, the Orange County District Attorney’s office in California has been rapidly solving cases and reducing crime in their community. The OCDA’s office has used Rapid DNA technology from Thermo Fisher Scientific to quickly identify victims and solve over 100 crimes—from commercial burglaries and auto theft to murders. In this webinar, OCDA forensic scientist Anna Dadhania explains how their program works, including case examples and best practices for successful partnerships with local law enforcement and their crime lab to solve crimes faster.

Mark Smith from the Arizona Department of Public Safety Crime Laboratory describes the success of Arizona Rapid DNA Law Enforcement Program, which as of June 2020 has generated over 170 investigative leads from over 530 cases.

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Stephanie Regan, crime scene and laboratory supervisor at the Kaua‘i Police Department (KPD), shares how the Applied Biosystems RapidHIT ID System enabled her agency to quickly and cost-effectively analyze tissue, brain, and bone samples following a tragic helicopter crash in December 2019.

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Fred Harran, Director of Public Safety at Bensalem Township Police, explains the significant impact Rapid DNA and local DNA databases can have on solving and preventing crime. The webinar will cover case examples and best practices, utility for property, drug, and serious crimes; victim ID; and exonerating the innocent, and discuss the impact- Bensalem Township reduced burglaries by 42%.

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Glenn Vandegrift, Detective Sergeant of Forensics in the Criminal Investigations Division at Bensalem Township Police department, explains how Rapid DNA and local DNA databases can solve crimes faster.

Rapid DNA frees up time and expertise of DNA analysts for more complex cases and quickly provides actionable information to law enforcement partners. But first – we have got to validate it in the lab. Mark Danus, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Joe Chang, Thermo Fisher Scientific discuss developmental validation results and considerations for an accredited forensic laboratory to evaluate the performance of the Applied Biosystems RapidHIT ID System.