Forensic Genetics Research Group
Group leader
The group’s research focuses on forensic based DNA technology. Our primary aim is to develop methods and tools which provide valuable information in criminal cases and inferences of relationship. The group has developed state-of-the-art tools and methods for the interpretation of complex mixed DNA profiles as well as for relationship inference. We work to develop methods and data for forensic activity level assessments including new methods to determine time since deposition and forensic microbiome analysis. We focus on improvement of forensic DNA database search and match reporting, developing new MPS panels and improving and evaluating new methods for relationship inference. We are closely integrated with routine work to facilitate education and implementation, and have a broad international network of experts in related areas. The members of the group are regularly invited to teach at various international events organized by e.g. the International Society for Forensic Genetics (ISFG).
Projects
- Transfer, persistence and recovery of forensic DNA traces and the application of Bayes Nets to interpret evidence that is relevant at the activity level.
- Novel methods for forensic air and dust sampling
- Microbiome analysis for forensic applications
- Forensic body fluid identification
- Methods to detect highly degraded materials and to improve discriminating power.
- Disaster victim identification
- UiO:Life Science: Medical, legal and lay understandings of physical evidence in rape cases (Evidently Rape)
- New methods to estimate the time since deposition of forensic traces
- MPSproto: A PGS for utilizing MPS-STR sequence information.
- Kinship analysis with additional STRs EFMex: Using EuroForMix for exhaustive calculations.