ISHI 36 Workshops Announced
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Pre- and post-conference workshops have been announced for the 36th International Symposium on Human Identification. Topics covered include probabilistic genotyping, Rapid DNA, disaster victim identification, leadership, expert witness testimony, and more.
Registration is limited, so claim your spot early!
Shortened descriptions, dates, and costs are included below. For more information on any of the workshops, including speakers, visit our website.
Sunday, November 2
8:30am-12:30pm
Technical Leaders' Meeting
Topics to follow.
Cost
Registration - $275
Fee includes breakfast.
8:30am-5:30pm
Are You Prepared? – Developing and Testing DVI Response Plans
This workshop provides an introduction for forensic laboratories interested in developing and implementing a Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) response using DNA methodologies. Drawing from the experiences of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and Kentucky State Police, the workshop covers key topics such as assessing available resources, determining specific needs, defining roles and responsibilities, and testing plan effectiveness through practical, scenario-based exercises. Attendees will engage in lectures, interactive discussions, and hands-on activities, including drafting a preliminary DVI plan tailored to their organization. By the end of the session, participants will have a foundational plan that can be further refined and implemented to enhance their DVI preparedness.
Cost
Registration - $425
Fee includes breakfast, lunch, breaks, and materials.
8:30am-5:30pm
Whole Genome Sequencing for Forensic Laboratories
In August 2023, the Center for Human Identification (CHI) at the University of North Texas Health Science Center became the first publicly accredited laboratory to implement SNP testing using MPS technologies for Forensic Genetic Genealogy (FGG). Since that time, the CHI has implemented a number of workflows for FGG cases, with the latest being whole genome sequencing (WGS). This workshop will focus solely on WGS. The benefits of WGS will be discussed along with additional informatic and sequencing platform considerations. Molecular and bioinformatic workflows will be outlined and data from the CHI’s developmental validation will be shared.
Cost
Registration - $425
Fee includes breakfast, lunch, breaks, and materials.
1:30 - 4:30pm
DNA Trainers’ Meeting
Adult learners come with past experiences, may it be from school or from previous work. Meeting your learner where they’re at and tailoring a DNA training program to their needs is very important. There is also pressure to get new staff trained and performing casework as soon as possible to alleviate the laboratory’s accumulation of casework. All this must be balanced with the numerous standards and guidance from the community.
In this interactive workshop, DNA trainers and researchers will share best practices for training new hires in serology and DNA typing. We will share research from discussion with lab managers and DNA technical leaders from small, medium, and large labs on how they conduct training, including their processes and timelines. Sample training programs will be presented, and we will learn how to improve the efficiency and organization of the training process to onboard new hires and get them working on casework faster.
Cost
Registration - $275
Fee includes lunch
Monday, November 3
8:30am-5:30pm
Implementing a Forensic Rapid DNA Program
With the anticipated effective date of the new Forensic Rapid DNA Quality Assurance Standards (QAS) 18 and 19 in July 2025, this workshop aims to highlight key aspects of the updated QAS and NDIS Operational Procedures required to operate a Forensic Rapid DNA Program both within laboratories and in collaboration with Partner Agencies. Presenters from federal, state, and local CODIS laboratories will share implementation strategies and practical insights for successfully establishing a Forensic Rapid DNA Program. This session will serve as a solid foundation for the afternoon workshop: Field-Ready Forensics: Deploying Rapid DNA for Real-Time Identification and Crisis Response.
Cost
Registration - $275
Fee includes breakfast and materials.
8:30am - 5:00pm
Supporting your Laboratory through Legal Challenges to the Use of Probabilistic Genotyping
Forensic laboratories have increasingly adopted probabilistic genotyping (PG) methods for the interpretation of DNA mixtures. Legal challenges at admissibility hearings span a range of topics including general acceptance, scope of the internal validation, defense access and source code, relatives, and the Likelihood Ratio. This workshop will cover the key recommendations for internal validation. We will discuss experimental design to meet the recommendations, summarize published material addressing the key issues, and discuss common challenges to the use of PG methods. Using interactive engagement, we will provide the audience with strategies to address and to prepare for admissibility hearings for PG software.
Cost
Registration - $425
Fee includes breakfast, lunch, breaks, and materials.
8:30am - 5:00pm
From Report to Court: Effective Communication of DNA Evidence
A panel of experts in the criminal justice arena will examine expert testimony regarding DNA, how it’s presented, and what effect it may have on deliberation and the final verdict. Topics to be addressed will include reporting and testimony following current recommend guidelines by the community (source, activity level propositions, etc.), best practices for trial preparation, admissibility hearings, and presenting and admitting expert testimony. The panel will include former and current scientists, lawyers, and judges. The workshop will conclude with an open discussion based on topics the attendees are most interested in.
Cost
Registration - $425
Fee includes breakfast, lunch, breaks, and materials.
1:30pm - 4:30pm
Field-Ready Forensics: Deploying Rapid DNA for Real-Time Identification and Crisis Response
This half-day workshop will focus on the mobile and temporary operation of Rapid DNA instruments, emphasizing their deployment in mass identification and Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) events. Building on the "Implementing a Forensic Rapid DNA Program" workshop, experts from CODIS laboratories will share practical use cases and strategies for using Rapid DNA in field-based, real-time analysis. Attendees will gain insights into successfully integrating Rapid DNA technology for mass casualty and crime scene operations, enhancing the ability to respond effectively in critical forensic and public safety scenarios.
Cost
Registration - $425
Fee includes lunch and materials.
9:00am - 5:00pm
Grupo Cientifico Latino-Americano de Trabajo Sobre Identificacion Humana
Description to be announced. This workshop will be presented entirely in Spanish.
Cost
Standard Registration - $100
Fee includes lunch and breaks.
Thursday, November 6
1:30 - 4:30pm
DNA & Firearms
This workshop will cover DNA and firearms from the crime scene to the courtroom. The presentations will kick off with the crime scene perspective on DNA collection from firearms. Next, you will hear the DNA analyst viewpoint on the best techniques for processing DNA from swabs collected from firearms as well as specialized protocols for spent shell casings, magazines, unique firearms, and DNA mixture interpretation. The law enforcement perspective of how DNA and firearms impact investigations will then be examined. Finally, attendees will hear from a prosecutor on testimony preparation, guidance, admissibility, transfer, and court proceedings for criminal cases involving firearms.
Cost
Registration - $275
Fee includes lunch and materials.
1:30 - 4:30pm
Forensic Science Validation
Validation is a critical part of the scientific process for assessing whether a technique is technically sound and can be used in laboratories to produce robust and defensible analytical results. In the forensic science context, validation is mandated for laboratories accredited under the ISO/IEC 17025 standard, yet the standard tells laboratories that methods must be validated but does not provide a rigorous framework describing how a method or technique can or should be validated. There is a critical need in the forensic science community for a scientifically based framework for how laboratories should approach validation. Not only would this serve as a means for strengthening the robustness of validation studies designed to support the use of forensic science methods implemented in operational practice, but it would also serve to promote greater consistency in how validation is approached across different laboratories and disciplines throughout forensic science community. In support of this effort, RTI is working with NIST to provide a generalized framework that is applicable across multiple laboratories and disciplines to guide how laboratories should perform a scientifically defensible validation study.
Cost
Registration - $275
Fee includes lunch and materials.
1:30 - 4:30pm
Leadership Collective
Description to follow.
Cost
Registration - $275
Fee includes lunch and materials.