Advanced DNA - New Methods to Solve Cold Cases

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Instructor:

Danielle Hankinson – Danielle has been a forensic scientist in the biology/DNA discipline for over 20 years. She is currently a Forensic Laboratory Analyst in Biology at the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office. She has previously worked at the Michigan State Police and the Virginia Dept. of Forensic Science. Danielle holds BS and MS degrees from Michigan State University. She has processed thousands of cases for body fluid identification and DNA analysis. Danielle is certified in Molecular Biology by the American Board of Criminalistics (ABC) and is a past president of the ABC. She is also an active member and a past president of the Midwestern Association of Forensic Scientists (MAFS), and has taught many classes to law enforcement, SANE personnel, college students, and the general public.

Course Description:

Major advancements have been made in forensic DNA testing in recent years. These advancements in technology include increased sensitivity, new methods to interpret complex mixtures, specialized search techniques of the CODIS database, and many more. This class will shed light on these advancements with the focus on utilizing them when routine DNA analysis has not solved a case. This class will be particularly useful for detectives working major crimes and/or looking at cold cases with a fresh eye to see if additional testing may be possible.

Topics Include:

  • Probabilistic genotyping software 
  • Familial searching of the CODIS database 
  • Y-STR testing 
  • New STR chemistries 
  • Phenotyping 
  • Genealogy 
  • Case studies

Course Details:

- 302 Funds Eligible -

*No shows WILL be billed unless cancellation is received 5 days prior to the class*