User:Christin Hertz/International Society for Forensic Genetics

The International Society for Forensic Genetics - ISFG is an international non-profit scientific society founded in 1968.

Background
The International Society for Forensic Genetics - ISFG – was founded in 1968 in Mainz, Germany, with the name ‘Gesellschaft für forensische Blutgruppenkunde’ (Society for Forensic Haemogenetics). It is a non-profit society based in Germany. The original aim of the society was to promote science of genetic markers in human blood for use in forensic genetics. In 1989, the Society was made an international society (‘International Society for Forensic Haemogenetics’). In 1991, the name of the Society was changed into ‘International Society for Forensic Genetics’. Following a further revision of the statutes, the aim of the ISFG has been redefined in 2011 "to promote scientific knowledge in the field of genetic markers as applied to forensic science". For more information, please visit http://www.isfg.org.

Membership
In June 2013, the ISFG had more than 1,200 individual members from more than 50 countries. The members are typically working with forensic genetics in academic (universities, etc.), criminal justice and police organizations as well as private companies. The members’ expertises include molecular biology and population genetics, blood group serology, biostatistics, criminal law, medical ethics, etc. Information on membership application is found on http://www.isfg.org/Membership.

The 2013 executive board of the ISFG
The board of the ISFG has five members: President: Mechthild Prinz, PhD, New York City; Vice-president: Prof. Dr. Niels Morling, Copenhagen; Secretary: Prof. Dr. Wolfgang R. Mayr, Vienna; Treasurer: Leonor Gusmao, PhD, Porto; Representative of all working groups: Prof. Walther Parsons,Innsbruck.

Honorary members
All activities of the ISFG are unpaid and non-profit. Many members have made very valuable contributions to the field of forensic genetics. The general assemblies have appointed a number of honorary members (Prof. Dr. E. Essen-Möller, Alsbäck/Lysekil, Sweden; Prof. Dr. P. Dahr, Bensberg, Köln; Prof. Dr. E. Krah, Heidelberg; Prof. Dr. M. Krüpe, Fulda; Prof. Dr. Dr. W. Zimmermann, Homburg/Saar; Prof. Dr. J.-J. van Loghem, Amsterdam; Prof. Dr. F. Levine, Raritan, N. J., USA; Dr. R. R. Race, London; Dr. R. Sanger, London; Prof. Dr. O. Prokop, Berlin; Prof. Dr. H. Leithoff, Mainz; Prof. Dr. K. Hummel, Freiburg; Dr. B. Dodd, London; Dr. E. van Loghem, Amsterdam; Dr. M. Pereira, London; Prof. Dr. E. Schwarzfischer, München; Prof. Dr. C. P. Engelfriet, Amsterdam; Prof. Dr. K. Henningsen, Copenhagen; Dr. A. G. Gathof, Würzburg; Prof. Dr. H. H. Hoppe, Hamburg; Prof. Dr. W. Spielmann, Frankfurt/Main; Prof. Dr. D. A. Hopkinson, London; Prof. Dr. H. Matsumoto, Takatsuki/Osaka; Prof. Dr. A. Arndt-Hanser, Mainz; Prof. Dr. R. Bütler, Zollikofen; [Prof. Sir A.J. Jeffreys, Leicester]; Prof. Dr. A. Fiori, Rome; Prof. Dr. E. Villanueva, Granada; Prof. Dr. P.J. Lincoln, London; Prof. Dr. Ch. Rittner, Mainz; Prof. Dr. B. Brinkmann, Münster; Prof. Dr. B. Olaisen, Oslo).

The biannual ISFG congresses
The ISFG organises international congresses biannually. In the period 1985-2005, the conference proceedings were published as books (http://www.isfg.org/Publications/Congress+Proceedings). Since 2007, the proceedings have been published electronically. They are freely available through Forensic Science International: Genetics Supplement Series.

The language-based working parties
The ISFG has the following language-based working groups: Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean and Spanish-Portuguese. The working groups typically treat items of regional or national interest. The English Speaking Working Group (ESWG) offers an annual proficiency testing exercise. The Relationship Testing Workshop is open to all members of the ESWG. Each year, blood samples, a questionnaire and a paper challenge are sent to the participating laboratories (http://www.isfg.org, http://www.rtw-eswg.forensic.ku.dk). The Spanish and Portuguese Speaking Working Group of the ISFG (GHEP-ISFG) also organises collaborative exercises (http://www.gep-isfg.org/ISFG/English/portada.php).

The DNA Commissions
The board of the ISFG together with invited scientists have established various working groups called ‘DNA Commissions of the ISFG’ that have discussed important forensic genetic topics and formulated recommendations (cf. below) that have helped to establishing scientific standards for new forensic genetic typing methods. Similar work has been done within the field of paternity and relationship testing (cf. below). A list of recommendations are found on http://www.isfg.org/Publications/DNA+Commission and http://www.isfg.org/Publications/Paternity+Testing+Commission.

The European DNA Profiling Group
The European DNA Profiling Group - EDNAP - was established in 1988 by forensic genetic scientists from European countries. The initial purpose of EDNAP was to harmonize DNA technologies for crime case investigations so that DNA results could be exchanged across the borders in Europe. In 1991, EDNAP was included among the working groups of the ISFG. EDNAP consists of approximately 20 European laboratories from academic, police and private institutions. The EDNAP group collaborates closely with the DNA Working Group of the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes - ENFSI. EDNAP regularly organises collaborative scientific exercises in order to explore the possibility of standardization of new forensic genetic methods. The results of these exercises are published and made available on the ISFG website (http://www.isfg.org/EDNAP/Publications).