2019 DNA Lecture Schedule
Friday 18th Oct 2019
10.30 Did the Irish bring rare mtDNA to Newfoundland? (David Pike, ISOGG Canada)
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has the distinct feature of being strictly maternally inherited, making it an indispensable tool for genealogical research of matrilineal ancestors. Within the mtDNA Project for Newfoundland and Labrador one particular mtDNA profile (belonging to haplogroup H5a5) has been found to occur at an unusually high frequency, especially in comparison with how rarely it appears to occur elsewhere. Given the substantial number of Irish who settled in Newfoundland, it is natural to ask whether Ireland is the source of this mtDNA lineage (as well as other mtDNA profiles in Newfoundland). This lecture will highlight what is known of the H5a5 profile in Newfoundland and where it may have originated.
11.30 An Irish - Ukrainian Case Study (Regina Negrycz, ISOGG US)
Sometimes it is simple to tell which side of the family a DNA match is on via the surnames, other times not. This presentation will show examples identifying a match’s relationship for two different ethnicities. The case study will also illustrate the identification of the relationship for a Y-DNA match using autosomal DNA.
12.30 Epigenetics for the Genetic Genealogist (Katherine Borges, ISOGG US)
Learn what Epigenetics is and why you need to learn about it for genetic genealogy. This presentation includes a brief history of this nascent field including both animal and human studies. Knowledge of epigentics can give you clues to mutations in your DNA.
13.30 The tools at DNAgedcom & Genetic.Family (Rob Warthen & John Collins, ISOGG US)
DNAGedcom has been around since 2011, but there have been a lot of changes recently there. Join us for a review of the changes over the last year, including new announcements first seen at Genetic Genealogy Ireland. In addition, learn how Genetic.Family will help you work within and across all your DNA Companies.
14.30 Canadian Casualty Identification Program – using Databases to connect Families to Their Lost Soldiers (Mags Gaulden, ISOGG Canada)
These are exciting times for anyone who has a lost relative, no matter the reason for the loss. With advances in DNA retrieval and analysis, work is being done to identify the remains of individuals who have been found around the world. This process is very similar across all aspects of research, including law enforcement, the various Doe projects and even in the identification of lost military personal from historical and current conflicts. We will take a look at the work being done by the Canadian Casualty Identification Program as well as the use of DNA databases to help in the process. Are public databases being used? Is there a government database for these soldiers’ families to leave reference samples? Are there privacy concerns to worry about in this kind of work? If I give a sample will Law enforcement have access to my sample? Join me as we attempt to bring clarity to an exciting time in genetic genealogy.
15.30 Early Irelanders: who were they and what happened to them? (Lara Cassidy, TCD)
Ancient genomes from the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods can shed light on social organisation in prehistoric Ireland. We explore this here, alongside the contribution these groups made to the modern Irish.
Saturday 19th Oct 2019
10.30 The formation of the insular Atlantic genome: over 4000 years of continuity on Europe’s northwest extreme? (Lara Cassidy, TCD)
We explore the signals of genetic continuity (and discontinuity!) in Ireland from the Copper Age onwards using haplotypic data taken from both modern and ancient populations. Ancient data also allows us to trace the appearance and distribution of Y chromosome lineages through time on the island.
11.30 Irish genealogies & DNA: back into the mythological past (Bart Jaski, Utrecht University)
When people research their Irish family history and ancestry, their surname is probably the most important part of their identity. Surnames are inherited from father to son, and certain Irish (Gaelic) surnames can be traced back to ancestors who lived more than a thousand year ago. This makes Irish surnames unique in the world, and they are therefore also important for DNA research worldwide. This research can take us even further back in time – perhaps even into the ‘mythological’ past before the coming of Christianity when Irish tribes dominated the island.
12.30 Irish DNA Down Under (Michelle Patient, ISOGG Australia)
One of the largest cohorts of migrants to Australia and New Zealand were from Ireland, but for many of us connecting back our research to the Irish ancestors has been a challenge. The topic will give an overview of migration waves and patterns from Ireland into Australia and New Zealand and discuss a number of examples of Irish ancestry puzzles and the role DNA has had in resolving them.
13.30 The DNA Journey - perspectives from Irish adoptees (Dolores Quinlan, MIACP)
I’ll be talking about my experience as a psychotherapist working with adoptees on their voyage of discovery: what it's like to search when you have nothing; what the journey is like emotionally going from nothing to “finding your people”, the emotional rollercoaster, the stops and starts, the dead ends. I’ll also discuss the results of a research project I did on this topic.
14.30 Exploring new Y-DNA Horizons with Big Y-700 (Iain MacDonald, ISOGG UK)
The Big Y-700 test provides a new frontier in Y-DNA testing options. I will discuss the details of this test and what you can expect to find from it. I will focus on the ability to determine ages of Y-DNA haplogroups and how this translates into the ability to trace our ancestors' migrations from the most ancient times, down to the histories of individual surnames, and how these can be merged into times probed by autosomal DNA results.
15.30 Using GenomeMate Pro & other tools (Michelle Leonard, ISOGG UK)
This presentation will delve into the world of DNA segment data and how to use it to enhance your genealogical research. I will explain how to use both the tools provided by the main testing companies and the most useful currently available third party tools. I will use practical examples to demonstrate how to make best use of segment data tools such as GenomeMatePro, GEDMatch (Tier 1) and DNA Painter. These tools can help with understanding, interpreting and organising DNA results and, ultimately, can contribute to how successful you are in identifying matches and making breakthroughs via DNA testing.