Forensic Bioinformatics
6th Annual Conference
The Science of DNA Profiling:
A National Expert Forum

August 17 - 19, 2007

David H. Ponitz Conference Center
Dayton, OH

About the Conference
The conference is primarily intended to be an opportunity for experts and attorneys familiar with forensic DNA profiling to exchange information and insights. Less experienced attorneys learn what issues may be important to criminal cases they are litigating as well as to determine which resources and experts are best suited to assist them. There are no admission restrictions.

Over a period of three days, the seminar will cover subjects germane to forensic DNA including: evidence collection, quality assurance, validation of laboratory procedures, transfer, identification, technical artifacts and error, juror comprehension, expert witness selection and due diligence. Course materials consisting of speaker presentations and supporting references such as key literature, legal documents and web sites will be provided to each participant in electronic format at the beginning of the seminar. Written course evaluations will be solicited from all participants.

Schedule

Friday, August 17

Session I: Mitochondrial DNA profiling
8:30 to 8:45 : Opening remarks (Dr. Dan Krane, Biological Sciences, Wright State University)
8:45 to 9:45 : Validating forensic mtDNA testing (Dr. Mitch Holland, Forensic Science, Penn State University)
9:45 to 10:30 : DNA Advisory Board standards regarding mtDNA testing (Dr. Jason Eshleman, Trace Genetics)
10:30 to 10:45 : Morning break (refreshments provided)
10:45 to 11:45 : Contamination safeguards in mtDNA testing (Dr. Frederika Kaestle, Indiana University)
11:45 to noon : Statistical weight of a "matching" mtDNA sequence (Dr. Laurence Mueller, University of California, Irvine)

noon to 1:00 : Lunch (provided)

1:00 to 2:00 : Panel discussion: What weight should be given to mtDNA test results? (Drs. Holland, Eshleman, Kaestle, and Meuller)

Session II: Advances in STR testing and interpretation
2:00 to 2:45 : Studying the transfer of DNA in a forensic context (Marc Taylor, Technical Associates, Ventura, CA)
2:45 to 3:15 : Product update from Applied Biosystems (Dawn Waltman, Applied Biosystems)
3:15 to 3:30 : Afternoon break (refreshments provided)
3:30 to 4:00 : Run-specific limits of quantitation and detection: an alternative to minimum peak height thresholds (Dr. Dan Krane, Biological Sciences, Wright State University)
4:00 to 5:00 : Genophiler® and GenoStat®: Tools for objective evaluation of DNA testing results (Dr. Jason Gilder, Forensic Bioinformatics)

5:00 to 9:00 : Social (cash bar)
6:00 to 7:00 : Dinner (provided)
7:00 to 8:00 : Memorable cases from the small screen (Quincy) to real life (Marc Taylor, technical advisor for the Quincy series and founder of Technical Associates)



Saturday, August 18

Session III: DNA profile databases
9:00 to 9:20 : Ethical considerations regarding the release of offender databases and of familial searches: a medical genetics perspective (Dr. Mary T. White, Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, OH)
9:20 to 10:20 : The ethics of DNA privacy: How medical and forensic DNA privacy relate (Sheldon Krimsky, Tufts University)
10:20 to 10:35 : Morning break (refreshments provided)
10:35 to 11:20 : Familial searches and cold hit statistics (Dr. Dan Krane, Wright State University)
11:20 to noon : What I would do with an offender database (Dr. Larry Mueller, UC Irvine)

noon to 1:00 : Lunch (provided)

1:00 to 2:00 : Panel discussion: Are offender databases being used to their full potential? (Drs. White, Krimsky, Krane, and Mueller)
2:00 to 2:15 : Afternoon break (refreshments provided)

Session IV: Emerging issues in DNA profiling
2:15 to 3:00 : Interpretation of sequence data: From data collection through databasing and statistics (Dr. Jason Eshleman, Trace Genetics)
3:00 to 3:50 : DNA and behavior: Is our fate in our genes? (Dr. Robert Pyatt, Ohio State University)
3:50 to 4:30 : Insights into race from DNA profiles (Marc Taylor, Technical Associates, Ventura, CA)
4:30 to 5:00 : Identifying the manipulation of DNA testing results through review of electronic data (Dr. Simon Ford, Lexigen, San Francisco, CA)

6:00 to 11:00 : Dayton Dragons baseball game (enjoy the very popular, playoff-bound Dayton minor league baseball team's game from the comfort of a luxury box; tickets provided to first 50 forum attendees)



Sunday, August 19

Session V: Interpreting and presenting DNA evidence: Psychological issues
9:00 to 10:00 : Perspectives on observer effects in forensic science (D. Michael Risinger, Seton Hall Law School, Newark, NJ)
10:00 to 10:15 : Morning break (refereshments provided)
10:15 to 11:15 : Juror understanding of random match probabilities (Dale Nance, Case Western Reserve University)
10:00 to 10:45 : New findings on jurors’ evaluations of forensic science (Dr. William C. Thompson, University of California, Irvine)

Forum adjourned (sack lunches provided)

Introductory session
There will be a separate introductory session on Friday for the attendees new to forensic DNA testing and interpretation.

Friday, August 17

Introductory Session I: Wading in the shallow end of the forensic DNA pool
8:30 to 8:45 : Opening remarks (Dr. Dan Krane, Biological Sciences, Wright State University)

Move to introductory session room

8:45 to 9:30 : Before the beginning: Fundamental precursors to understanding Forensic DNA Evidence (Christine Funk, Minnesota Board of Public Defense Trial Team)
9:30 to 9:45 : The Beginning: DNA basics from crime scene to crime lab - the good, the bad, and the ugly (Marc Taylor)
9:45 to 10:30 : The next step in plain English: How the lab gets the blood off the shoe and makes a scrimillion copies (Christine Funk, Minnesota Board of Public Defense Trial Team)
10:30 to 10:45 : Morning break (refreshments provided)
10:45 to 11:15 : Crime lab fundamentals: What to expect from a crime lab from design to record keeping to the tools a forensic scientist uses (Dr. Mitch Holland and Marc Taylor)
11:15 to 12:00 : Continuing down the path: What the lab does with the aforementioned scrimillion copies and how do those copies translate into a test result (Christine Funk, Minnesota Board of Public Defense Trial Team)

12:00 to 1:00 : Lunch, (provided)

Introductory Session II: Heading into waist high water
1:00 to 1:30 : How jurors view forensic experts and forensic testimony (Dale Nance and D. Michael Risinger)
1:30 to 2:30 : Things that can muck up DNA interpretation (Christine Funk, Minnesota Board of Public Defense Trial Team)

2:30 to 5:00 : Return to the conference in the main room

CLE Credit
CLE accreditation is pending for all forty states that offer CLE credit.

Registration

Prior to August 6: $295

After August 6: $425

Note: There is a 20% discount for groups of four or more.

Academic Scholarships: please send a one page curriculum vitae and a one paragraph explanation as to why you should receive a registration waiver. Deadline: July 9th.

Download the registration form here.

Directions
The conference center is located at 444 West 3rd Street. You can find the Google map HERE.

You can download a map HERE.

Parking
The conference center is within walking distance of the Doubletree hotel. If you are driving, then you can park underneath the conference center. You can find a map with directions HERE.

Hotel

The Doubletree is offering rooms at a discounted rate ($89/night, $100.57 with tax). Call (937) 461-4700 and mention the "Forensic Bioinformatics DNA Meeting" to reserve a room. For on-line reservations, enter "DNA" in the Group/Convention Code box to get the discounted rate.

A free shuttle is available to and from the airport until 11pm.

Questions?
Contact Carrie Rowland through e-mail or call Forensic Bioinformatics at (937) 426-9270.

Last modified: 03/12/10