Announcements

Advanced online DNA interpretation course 2021-2022

The University of Lausanne is planning to run an advanced DNA interpretation course (date to be decided) that allows to assess results considering activity level propositions. Spread over 13 months, this 150 hour course represents an average workload of 4 hours per week. The course material is provided electronically, along with full support from the lecturers and discussion sessions. At the end of the course participants will be proficient to report given activity level propositions with likelihood ratios (computed with and without Bayesian Networks). A time-limited version of a Bayesian Network software is provided. The course is fully accredited. Candidates receive a certificate of participation, along with 5 ECTS credits. Further details, where you can also register your interest, at: https://www.formation-continue-unil-epfl.ch/en/formation/advanced-dna-interpretation/ or you can also contact us directly at sefe@unil.ch. Prof. Dr. Christophe Champod, Prof. Dr. Franco Taroni, Prof. Dr. Alex Biedermann, DrSc. Tacha Hicks

ESWG 2021 Virtual Scientific Meeting

The English Speaking Working Group of the ISFG will hold its annual meeting on October 20, 2021, as a one day virtual meeting.

• One day virtual meeting with scientific presentations.
• Share and discuss your research, case reports, ideas and experiences.
• The meeting is open to all (although ISFG membership is encouraged).
• The main theme of the meeting is the use of DNA and genetics for paternity & kinship analysis and missing person identification (including topics such as DNA extraction methods, DNA typing approaches, genetic polymorphisms, biostatistics, investigative genetic approaches, quality assurance and more).
• The ESWG member meeting will be a part of this virtual event.

For further details, please see http://www.ESWG2021.org

EAFS 2022 in Stockholm

The European Academy of Forensic Science (EAFS) Conference will be held from May 30 to June 3, 2022. It will comprise topics such as technology transformation, digitisation of forensic process, forensic data science, forensic human factor and forensic social responsibility. Topics will include:

• Digital Evidence
• DNA
• Chemistry & Trace Evidence
• Pattern Recognition
• Scene of Crime
• Medicine & Toxicology
• Legal & Ethical Aspects
• Management
• Forensic Statistics
• European Perspective

You will find all relevant information on the conference website https://www.eafs2022.eu/

12th Haploid Markers Meeting postponed to 2022

Important message: Due to the Corona virus / Covid-19 situation, the 12^th Haploid Markers Meeting has been postponed to May 18­–21, 2022, taking place in Budapest, Hungary. The Conference motto is “Big data – stretching the borders of forensic genetics”. Novel sequencing techniques have significantly increased the body of haploid data and will continue to shape our understanding of extant lineage variation. This also impacts forensic applications. Therefore, attendees who specialize in this aspect are encouraged to submit relevant abstracts. The organizers invite papers on a variety of topics including

• forensic biostatistics of haploid markers
• haploid markers in the courtroom
• evidential value of high-resolution mtDNA and Y haplotypes - new sequencing technologies and bioinformatics
• update on forensic databases
• population structure and inference on its history
• forensic genealogical testing
• human evolutionary genomics
• ethical considerations in the context of phenotyping and biogeographic ancestry testing

All conference details can be retrieved from the meeting website: http://www.hm2020.hu/.

IAFS in Sydney postponed to 2023

The 22^nd Triennial Meeting of the International Association of Forensic Science (IAFS) in conjunction with the 25^th Symposium of the Australian and New Zealand Forensic Science Society (ANZFSS) originally due to be held in September 2020 has been postponed to November 20-24, 2023, see https://iafs2023.com.au/.

Gordon Research Conference 2022

Announcing the next Gordon Research Conference Forensic Analysis of Human DNA, June 19-24, 2022, in Mount Snow, West Dover, VT, United States. Congress Chairs are Sarah Seashols Williams and Steven Lee, and vice chairs are Katherine B. Gettings and Titia Sijen.

• Congress Website

It will be accompanied by a Gordon Research Seminar for graduate students and postdocs on June 18-19, 2020, chaired by Tiffany Layne and Laurence Devesse:

• Seminar Website