News

21^st International Symposium 2010 on Human Identification

The 21^st International Symposium 2010 on Human Identification will be held October 11-14, 2010, in San Antonio, Texas. Please visit the conference website ISHI21 for further details.

HIGHER Impact Factor for FSI Genetics

The impact factor has been updated for FSI: Genetics by Thomson Reuters. The official journal of the ISFG now has an impact factor of 2.421 (up from 1.34) according to the recently published Journal Citation Report of June 2010. The journal is now ranked in second place of all journals listed in "Legal Medicine". The editors of FSI Genetics welcome the significant increase from 1.347 to 2.421, as it represents a great success, as well as clear evidence for the scientific relevance of the articles published in this journal, which was only launched three years ago in 2007.

Forensic DNA Ethics Website launched

The Working Group on Ethical Issues in Criminal Forensic Genetics of the Department of Medical Ethics, University of Pennsylvania, has launched the new website http://forensicdnaethics.com/ The Forensic DNA Phenotpying (FDP) Project will monitor and analyze developments in FDP internationally. This website will track changes in the use of FDP, the laws and regulations related to FDP, and the evolving science behind FDP. It will serve as an authoritative source and gathering place for scientists, practitioners, and students interested in the use of this new technology. The project is funded by the NIH, National Human Genome Research Institute's Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications program, R01 HG004740.

Course in Forensic Genetics, 7-9 June 2010 in Copenhagen – Update of the programme on DVI.

The Copenhagen Forensic Genetic Summer School will be held 7-9 June 2010. Courses:

• Course A: Interpretation of complex STR results.
• Course B: Disaster Victim identification, mtDNA and Y-chromosome DNA in forensic genetics.

The programme on DVI has been updated. You find the information on: http://www.welcomehome.dk/Default.aspx?ID=590.

BIT's 1st Annual World Congress of Forensics 2010

The BIT's 1^st Annual World Congress of Forensics will be held 21-23 October 2010 in Dalian, China. Theme: From Evidence to Verdict. Please visit the conference website Forensics 2010 for further details.

ESWG Meeting 2010

The next meeting of the English Speaking Working Group will be held 8-11 September 2010 in Stockholm, Sweden. The meeting will be organized by Professor Bertil Lindblom and co-workers. Below, you find pdf-files with:

Programme

Themes

Registration form

Abstract form

ISFG 2007 Presentations online

The presentations from the educational workshops, the programme and abstracts, as well as picture albums of the highlights of the 22nd International Congress in Copenhagen in 2007 are now available online.

Proceedings of ISFG 2009

The proceedings of the 23^rd ISFG Congress, September 2009 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Progress in Forensic Genetics 13, are now openly available from FSI Genetics: Supplement. All publications can be obtained without restriction in PDF format. Links to previous issues of the "Progress" series are given on our Congress Proceedings page.

Biostatistical software tools

At the recent EDNAP meeting in Edinburgh in Oct. 2009 a decision was made to offer free software resources for biostatistical analysis of forensic cases on the ISFG website. Scientists are invited to test the available tools for the R Statistical Software package, develop their own codes, or add other resources. Please visit the new Software page of the DNA Commission.

23rd ISFG Congress presentations online

Several speakers of the educational workshops and the congress in Buenos Aires have agreed to make their presentations available to the ISFG members. These presentations can be downloaded as PDF files from the new education page in the "Members Area". Please activate your personal account to get access to this page. Here you find instructions about the activation procedure.

Online payment of membership fees

You can now pay your annual membership fee online by credit card (MasterCard and VISA). A secure link to a bank website has been added to your personal profile. Using a simple "one click" button, you reach the secure payment site. After the payment, you will receive a confirmation of your payment by email, as well as a PDF document with a receipt and all payment details. To use this service, you must activate your personal profile.

First Impact Factor for FSI Genetics

The first official impact factor has been calculated for FSI: Genetics by Thomson Reuters. The impact factor of 1.347 has been published in a re-release of the Journal Citation Report at the end of September. In addition, all publications beginning with Vol. 1, 2007 are fully searchable in NCBI PubMed. This will enhance the public awareness about the articles which have been published up to now in the journal, and will further stimulate the interest of colleagues to submit their manuscripts to FSI: Genetics.

Direct access to FSI: Genetics online for ISFG members

All ISFG members have now a direct and unrestricted link from the ISFG website to the journal FSI: Genetics. Members who have not yet registered for getting access to our website have to activate their personal profile on the ISFG website to use this service. Here you find instructions about the activation procedure. Registered ISFG members can use the FSI:Genetics link on the page Journal Access in the Members' Area.

ISFG members: please activate your account!

All members are kindly asked to activate their personal account on the ISFG website to improve the communication, and to make sure that your personal copy of FSI:Genetics will reach you. A step-by-step instruction has been prepared to facilitate this simple procedure. ­– Información español ­– Informação portugués. ­– Deutsche Information

ANZFSS Meeting 2010 in Sydney

The Australian & New Zealand Forensic Science Society holds an International Symposium every two years. The meeting and symposia cover the major areas of forensic science: arson, biology, crime scene, disasters, documents, drug-associated crime, explosions, firearms, fingerprints, homicide, odontology, pathology, toxicology and other disciplines related to both medicine and the law. The next edition will be held in Sydney, Australia, September 5-10, 2010.

Use of ISFG logo on private websites

The executive board has published guidelines for the ISFG members to comply with the statutes of the ISFG. In particular, the use of the ISFG logo and the reference to the ISFG membership on a commercial website, and to the participation in proficiency testing exercises organized by one of the ISFG working groups has been addressed.

FSI Genetics launch celebration

During the 22^nd ISFG Congress in Copenhagen, the successful launch of the new journal FSI Genetics was celebrated at a reception organized by the journal publisher Elsevier for the members of the editorial board as well as numerous journal reviewers who were present at the congress.

Welcome and Farewell

Following the elections during the General Assembly in August 2007, the executive committee of the ISFG welcomes Leonor Gusmao as a new member. She will serve as treasurer, taking over from Niels Morling, our new ISFG president. At the same time, the board bids farewell to Angel Carracedo, who is retiring from the board after having served for 16 years.

Website design

The official website of the ISFG has been completely redesigned. Following an extensive testing period, the new website has been transferred on December 23rd, 2007 to the server to replace the old ISFG web design which has been active since 2001.