Cambridge Healthtech Institute Training Seminars offer real-life case studies, problems encountered and solutions applied, and extensive coverage of the basic science underlying each topic. Experienced Training Seminar instructors offer a mix of formal lectures, interactive discussions and activities to help attendees maximize their learning experiences. These immersive trainings will be of value to scientists from industry and academic research groups who are entering new fields – and to those working in supporting roles that will benefit from an in-depth briefing on a specific aspect of the industry.
TS6A: NGS for DNA Forensics
Arlington
While current technologies being used in the field of forensics are effective and efficient, next-generation sequencing is capable of ushering in a new era of DNA forensics. Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s Next-Generation Sequencing for DNA Forensics training seminar will address technical considerations including bioinformatics and mixture analysis, as well as examine exciting use cases in missing persons. This seminar will also examine the rigorous challenges of implementation, including documentation and validation. Forensic scientists, DNA analysts, forensic chemists, criminalists, medical examiners, and trial attorneys will all learn valuable information from this training seminar.
Attendees are asked to bring their own laptops to partake in interactive exercises.
Instructors:
Seth A. Faith, PhD, Research Leader, CBRNE Defense/Applied Genomics, Battelle
Rebecca Just, PhD, Visiting Scientist, DNA Support Unit, FBI Laboratory
Charla Marshall, PhD, Chief, Emerging Technologies Section, Armed Forces DNA Lab
Adam Garver, MFS, Forensic Scientist – CODIS, Office of Ohio Attorney General
Sean Oliver, MSc, Quality Control and Validation Manager, Quality Management Section, Armed Forces DNA Lab
Topics to be covered:
Bioinformatics and NGS Primer
Implementing NGS in a Forensic Lab
Using NGS in Missing Persons Cases
NGS for Mixture Analysis
Validation and Interpretation Guidelines (SWGDAM Updates)
Detailed schedule:
DAY 1: August 20, 2018
1:30 pm-3:40pm - Training Sessions
3:40 pm-4:15pm - Coffee Break
4:15pm-5:45 pm - Training sessions
5:45 pm-7:00pm - Wine & Cheese Welcome reception
DAY 2: August 21, 2018
8:00am -8:30am - Morning Coffee
8:30am-10:10am - Training sessions
10:10 am-11:00am - Coffee Break
11:00am -12:30pm - Training sessions
12:30pm-1:30pm - Lunch served
1:00pm-1:30pm - Refreshment Break
1:30pm-4:05pm – Training sessions
3:35pm-4:20pm- Refreshment Break
4:20pm-6:25pm - Training sessions
Instructors:
Seth A. Faith, PhD, Research Leader, CBRNE Defense/Applied Genomics, Battelle
Dr. Seth Faith is a Research Leader at Battelle Memorial Institute, a non-profit contract research organization. He specializes in research and development projects in human and microbial identification using next-generation sequencing technologies (NGS), advanced bioinformatics, and databasing. His R&D team was the first to publish a method for producing a full CODIS DNA profile with NGS technology that could be used for matching against the US national criminal database (NDIS). This project was later funded by the US Department of Defense to deploy a system to conduct DNA forensics with NGS. He currently performs funded research for the National Institute of Justice and US Department of Defense, and collaborates with multiple state and federal law enforcement agencies for DNA technology development, cloud based computing, and data analytics. Dr. Faith is a member of several advisory bodies for the development of new forensic technologies including: the National Institute of Standards and Technology OSAC WF Subcommittee, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis and Methods (SWGDAM), and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences Standards Board (ASB).
Adam Garver, MFS, Forensic Scientist – CODIS, Office of Ohio Attorney General
Adam Garver has been working in the field of forensic science for over 11 years and is currently a Forensic Scientist in the CODIS section at Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s London laboratory. While obtaining his Master’s degree, he worked at the Smithsonian’s Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics at the National Zoological Park sequencing non-coding chloroplast regions of Metrosideros plants. He was then hired by BCI in 2006 to work in the forensic biology section and quickly transitioned to the DNA section. During this time he was responsible for the validation of a Y-STR kit and its implementation into casework. In 2013 he transferred to the CODIS section where he was additionally trained in thumbprint comparisons and served as the Forensic Science Coordinator. In 2016 he began full-time work on BCI’s joint venture with Battelle and has been studying MPS and its implementation into an accredited forensics laboratory. He has testified in over 45 cases as an expert witness in the field of forensic science. His wife Jennifer works as a virologist and their two young children regularly enjoy thrilling dinner conversations about PCR, cell culture, and DNA sequencing.
Rebecca Just, PhD, Visiting Scientist, DNA Support Unit, FBI Laboratory
Rebecca Just joined the FBI Laboratory as a Visiting Scientist in 2015. Situated within the DNA Support Unit, she has supported the Laboratory’s DNA casework through validation and implementation of a continuous probabilistic genotyping software, and via research into NGS typing systems and strategies for NGS data interpretation, particularly for STR markers. Prior to her work with the FBI she spent 13 years at the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory, where she researched the utility, applications and methods for complete mitochondrial genome sequencing, and helped to advance DNA typing capabilities using new methods and technologies. She has a B.A. from Hamilton College, a M.F.S. from George Washington University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Charla Marshall, PhD, Chief, Emerging Technologies Section, Armed Forces DNA Lab
Charla Marshall is a molecular anthropologist with a background in ancient DNA and mitochondrial phylogenetics. Dr. Marshall transitioned to forensics in 2014 as Chief of the Emerging Technologies Section (ETS) at the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL). In this role, she leads a team of scientists to identify, test, and validate novel technologies for DNA-assisted identification of missing U.S. service members. Current efforts are focused on mitochondrial genome sequencing methods for degraded skeletal remains as well as high-quality reference samples. Other active areas of research are DNA extraction and repair, SNP capture for extended kinship analysis, and population sample databasing.
Sean Oliver, MSc, Quality Control and Validation Manager, Quality Management Section, Armed Forces DNA Lab
Sean Oliver is the Validation and Quality Control Manager at the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory and has been with AFDIL for the last 15 years. He received an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biology-Chemistry from the University of New Brunswick, Canada, in 2000 and earned a Masters of Science in Forensic Science from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland in 2002. After joining the AFDIL, he spent two years as a Validation Technician and four years as a casework mtDNA Analyst. He accepted his current position in 2009, where he manages the operations of the Validation and Quality Control unit and is responsible for the quality control of all casework laboratory reagents and instrumentation as well as the evaluation, development and implementation of validation studies for casework. He has recently overseen the implementation of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) protocols at AFDIL for both high quality reference samples as well as low quality casework specimens as it applies to missing persons efforts.
Training Seminar Information
Each CHI Training Seminar offers 1.5 days of instruction with start and stop times for each day shown above and on the Event-at-a-Glance published in the onsite Program & Event Guide. Training Seminars will include morning and afternoon refreshment breaks, as applicable, and lunch will be provided to all registered attendees on the full day of the class.
Each person registered specifically for the training seminar will be provided with a hard copy handbook for the seminar in which they are registered. A limited number of additional handbooks will be available for other delegates who wish to attend the seminar, but after these have been distributed, no additional books will be available.
Though CHI encourages track hopping between conference programs, we ask that Training Seminars not be disturbed once they have begun. In the interest of maintaining the highest quality learning environment for Training Seminar attendees, and because Seminars are conducted differently than conference programming, we ask that attendees commit to attending the entire program, and not engage in track hopping, as to not disturb the hands-on style instruction being offered to the other participants.
