2015 International Symposium on Human Identification (ISHI) Welcomes 50+ International Forensic DNA Experts

Join more than 50 experts at the world's largest conference on DNA analysis for human identification, hosted by Promega Corporation, featuring historic keynote speaker Kirk Bloodsworth, the first person to be exonerated from death row through post-conviction DNA testing. The 26th International Symposium on Human Identification (ISHI) 2015, to be held October 12-October 15 in Grapevine, Texas, includes presentations from leading professionals in the fields of forensic DNA analysis, genomics, forensic anthropology, medical molecular diagnostics, law enforcement and more.

ISHI 26 comprises a 3-day series of presentations complemented by optional small group workshops. Experts on forensic DNA practices and technological advances presenting during the event include:

• Marie Allen , a Professor in the Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology at the Science for Life Laboratory at Uppsala University in Sweden, will share her work identifying the skeletal remains of famed astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus.
• George Herrin , Deputy Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation-Division of Forensic Sciences, will present an update on Biology/DNA Scientific Area Committee (SAC) activities as well as host a public 90-minute SAC question and answer session. The subcommittee has been reviewing a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)-compiled inventory of 730 existing forensic science standards for relevance and providing input on this first-of-its-kind formal standard for the industry.
• Fredy Peccerelli, a forensic anthropologist and Founder/Executive Director of the Forensic Anthropology Foundation of Guatemala (FAFG), will share his experiences helping to identify the "disappeared" in Guatemala, a result of the country's 36-year civil war that claimed an estimated 200,000 civilians before a peace accord was reached in 1996.

ISHI 26 optional workshops include:

• Statistical Evaluation of the Probative Value of DNA Profiles (in Spanish)
• HITA Workshop - Addressing Social Issues with Human Identification
• Analyzing and Utilizing Data from Next-Generation Sequencers in the Forensic Genomics Era
• Forensic Mixtures: Assessment, Analysis and Technology: Current Methods, New Approaches and Disruptive Technologies
• Advanced Methods for DNA Based Identification of Skeletal Remains Countdown to 2017: Internal Validation of the New CODIS Loci

Industry leaders from the FBI (including the CODIS Unit), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), top research universities, public and private forensic labs, expert DNA witnesses, and various state forensic science bureaus, police departments and state attorneys' offices will be represented.