Ethical Issues Around Investigative Genealogy

Craig Klugman, a Bioethicist at DePaul University details the issues surrounding commercial DNA databases and using these databases for investigative genealogy purposes, and offers some paths forward.        Transcript: Laura: Hi, we’re here at ISHI 29 with Craig Klugman. Craig, tell us a little bit about yourself.   Craig: Well, I’m a […]

Using Genetic Genealogy to Provide Answers – an Interview with CeCe Moore

Sarah Dingle, an investigative journalist with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation interviews CeCe Moore to discuss how she’s used genetic genealogy to help adoptees and donor conceived individuals find their biological families, and is now applying the same techniques to cold cases.        Transcript: Sarah: Hi, I’m Sarah Dingle. I’m an Investigative Journalist […]

Announcing the ISHI 30 Keynote Speaker

He went by many names. In Sacramento, he was known as the East Area Rapist. Southern California called him the Original Night Stalker. Others gave him the name Diamond Knot Killer and Visalia Ransacker. As he progressed to murder, he would become the Golden State Killer. All told, he committed over 100 burglaries, more than […]

A Genetic Genealogy Television Show?

Margaret Press and Colleen Fitzpatrick, founders of the DNA Doe Project, discuss the likelihood of staring in a reality television show.      WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS? SUBSCRIBE TO THE ISHI BLOG BELOW!   SUBSCRIBE NOW!

Under the Microscope – Sarah Dingle

DNA analysis is a powerful tool for researchers, scientists and law enforcement. But in the everyday lives of people across the globe, affordable access to DNA testing has brought about a seismic shift. For the first time, donor conceived people can find their biological fathers, mothers or siblings. Donor conception has exploded in the last […]

“GenEthics” – The Implications of Genomic Data

I majored in genetics because I love Punnett Squares. Don’t get me wrong, I was fascinated by the groundbreaking research going on in fields like oncology and agriculture, but there was something about the simple and logical nature of calculating inheritance patterns that really drew me in. At the time when I confusingly wandered into […]

Sorting Out the Prickly Topic of Genealogical Searching – INFOGRAPHIC

While genetic genealogy isn’t a new technology, the recent successes that genealogical searching has had in solving close cases and giving names to those who were previously unidentified has brought it to the forefront of the media. But what is genealogical searching, and should there be limitations to when and how it’s used? If you’re […]

Questions of Genome Privacy and Protection

In April 2018, law enforcement officials announced the arrest of a suspect in the Golden State Killer case (New York Times ). Shortly after the announcement, those same law enforcement officers explained that detectives had used a public forensic genealogy web site to help identify the killer. What does it mean when a law enforcement agency […]