In this conversation, we sit down with Melody Josserand, a dedicated professional from the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification. She sheds light on the center’s mission, emphasizing its focus on missing persons and criminal casework, with a special highlight on the challenging issue of missing migrants at the southern border.
Melody shares insights into her presentation at ISHI 34, which delved into the innovative strategies being employed to repatriate remains of migrants who perish during their perilous journey across the border, back to their families and home countries. This crucial work involves collaborating with foreign laboratories and leveraging STR technology within a dedicated database to match remains with family reference profiles provided by other nations.
Discover the complexities and challenges of forming international partnerships, the intricate process of collecting and uploading DNA profiles, and the future possibilities that emerging technologies like forensic investigative genetic genealogy (FIGG) could hold for this field. Melody’s dedication to her work and her perspective on the evolving landscape of forensic DNA analysis highlight the conference’s role as a hub for learning, networking, and innovation in forensic science.
