Advisory Committee and Staff Members

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Advisory Committee Members

Dr. Michael Coble

Executive Director, Center for Human Identification, UNTHSC

Michael Coble, PhD, is an Associate Professor and the Executive Director of the Center for Human Identification at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, Texas. Dr. Coble received his Masters Degree in Forensic Science and his PhD in Genetics from The George Washington University. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and a member of the International Society for Forensic Genetics. He serves as a commissioner of the Texas Forensic Science Commission and is an invited guest at the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM). He is a co-editor of the Forensic Biology subject area of WIRES Forensic Science journal and is a member of the editorial boards of Forensic Science International: Genetics and the Journal of Forensic Sciences.

Nana Lamousé-Welch, BA, MS, is a graduate of Vassar College and obtained a Master of Science in Forensic Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Upon graduating she started working at The Bode Technology Group where she processed samples from airline crashes, mass graves, and the World Trade Center tragedy. After leaving Bode in late 2001, Nana joined BRT Laboratories in Baltimore, Maryland where she revitalized the forensics department, resulting in their accreditation for DNA testing. In 2004, Nana joined the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner as a Criminalist where she spent most of her twenty-three yearlong career. In 2022 Nana began her studies in Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy, finishing in early 2023 with a graduate certificate in Forensic Genetic Genealogy from the University of New Haven. Later that same year, Nana joined the Forensic Science Unit of the Bronx County District Attorney Office as a DNA Specialist where she handles cold case investigations and DNA related matters.

Nana Lamousé-Welch

DNA Specialist, Bronx County District Attorney’s Office

Michelle Madrid

Senior Criminalist / DNA Technical Leader, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

Michelle Madrid is a Senior Criminalist and the DNA Technical Leader for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Molecular Biology and a Master of Science Degree in Criminalistics. Michelle has worked in the Biology Section for 18 years and has played an integral role in training, and in evaluating and validating new methods. She is certified by the American Board of Criminalistics in Molecular Biology. Michelle is also part of her lab’s CSI team and responds to various types of scenes including homicides, assaults, and fire scenes to assist in the documentation and collection of biological and trace evidence. She was a part of the Expert Working Group on Human Factors in Forensic DNA Interpretation which conducted a scientific assessment of the effects of human factors in forensic DNA examination and recommended approaches to improve its practice and reduce the likelihood of errors. Michelle is a member of OSAC’s Human Forensic Biology Subcommittee’s and serves as the Executive Secretary. In addition, she serves on the American Board of Criminalistics Examination Committee. When not working, she spends as much time as possible outdoors hiking, camping, and traveling to faraway places.

Julie Conover Sikorsky began her career in 2002 as a Senior Forensic Scientist with the Forensic Biology Unit of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. In 2012 she was promoted to manage the Unit of now over twenty talented and dynamic individuals. Julie is currently the Chair of the American Board of Criminalistics (ABC) Credentials Committee, a member of the Criminalistics section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS), a member of the International Association of Forensic Genetics (ISFG), and a member of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD). Julie is active in her local Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) where she was awarded member of the year in 2019.

Julie is certified in molecular biology by the ABC and has her Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. She is a qualified ISO Assessor and has offered expert witness testimony over 100 times. Julie has numerous publications and frequently presents at meetings, conferences, and trainings. Julie serves as a peer-reviewer for forensic journals and is a member of the Advisory Board for Keiser University. Julie has a bachelor of science degree in molecular biology from the University of California at San Diego as well as two master’s degrees from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia; one in forensic science and the other in biomedical sciences.

Julie enjoys running, yoga, food/wine, travel, reading (Audible), podcasts and of course, all things forensic and true crime.

Julie Sikorsky

Forensic Biology Manager, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office

Jim Thomson

Scientific Knowledge Manager and the Science Lead for DNA, Eurofins Forensic Services

Jim has over 30 years’ experience working in the fields of forensic identity testing and genotyping. He started his career at the Royal London Hospital in 1986, helping to establish the new DNA Fingerprinting techniques to support one of the first DNA-based paternity testing services in the UK.

Since 1995 he has worked for LGC and now Eurofins Forensic Services, where he is the Scientific Knowledge Manager and the Science Lead for DNA. In his time there has played a key role in establishing and supporting a number of different DNA based forensic and diagnostic services. These have included the first independent National DNA Database reference laboratory which opened in 1997 and the establishment and ongoing developments of Eurofins’ crime stain and casework DNA laboratories. He leads an R&D team focused on forensic DNA projects, and his role now extends to include Eurofins forensic laboratories in Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands with whom he facilitates collaborations and knowledge sharing.

Rhonda Williams, Ph.D., worked in the forensic DNA field for approximately 15 years. She enjoys teaching others about the field of forensics. She previously worked at the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences in Houston, Texas, for eight years as a DNA analyst and crime scene analyst and in the OSBI CODIS unit for seven years.