DNA Labs International, a specialist in forensic casework for law enforcement agencies, attorneys and government forensic labs, will be attending the Fifth Annual Forensic Science Symposium March 15 – 16, 2016 in the SIPA Auditorium at Florida International University (FIU), located in Miami, Florida. DNA Labs International analysts Rachel Oefelein and Billy Hausman will be guest speakers at the event discussing the STRmix™ software system and the M-VAC® System Wednesday, March 16, 2016. Oefelein will be presenting “STRmix™: From Validation to Implementation” from 9:40 – 10 a.m. and Hausman will be presenting “The M-VAC®” from 10 – 10:20 a.m. in the Forensic Biology Session in GL 100B.
DNA Labs International is the only private lab in the U.S. where STRmixTM, an expert software system, is currently available. Developed by world leaders in the field, it uses a fully continuous approach for DNA profile interpretation, resolving complex DNA mixtures and inconclusive results due to limited information. With STRmix TM, DNA Labs International can retest evidence and develop conclusive court admissible results.
The M-VAC® System is an advanced wet-vacuum sampling device that improves DNA collection, leading to a stronger DNA profile. The M-VAC® System has the potential to dramatically improve surface sampling capabilities in nearly every scenario. It has been successful in many circumstances, especially sampling touch DNA from clothing.
Oefelein is the Quality Assurance Manager and a Senior DNA Analyst at DNA Labs International. As the Quality Assurance Manager, Oefelein is responsible for the coordination and administration of quality throughout the laboratory, including compliance with International Standards. Previously, she worked at the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) at the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. While there, she was the only analyst signed off in both mitochondrial DNA lab processing and analysis in the Nuclear DNA Section.
Oefelein spearheaded the STRmix™ validation last year, and implemented it January of 2016. DNA Labs International is the first private forensic lab to validate and implement the software.
Hausman is currently a serologist and DNA Analyst in Training at DNA Labs International. Hausman graduated from Florida Atlantic University with an M.S. in Biology. He has testified in court as an expert witness in serology.
Hausman has been honing his skills using the M-VAC® technology for the past two years and is considered an expert when it comes to processing evidence with the wet vacuum system.
Both Oefelein and Hausman are available to go over any case with your law enforcement agency to see if it is a fit for either the M-VAC® or STRmix™ systems.
The Fifth Annual Forensic Science Symposium is presented by FIU’s International Forensic Research Institute (IFRI), in cooperation with the Miami-Dade Police Department, Broward Sheriff’s Office, Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, and the Pinellas County Crime Lab and Drug Enforcement Administration. This event brings together law enforcement agencies, industry and academia to share knowledge and to showcase cutting-edge research. The format includes workshops, oral presentations and poster sessions lead by current practitioners, academics and graduate students. Sessions feature key topics such as comparative science techniques, DNA, trace evidence, toxicology and fire debris.
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