DNA Testing

In this presentation, Adwoa Ulzen-Setrakian, founder of spanDNA and Human Temple Therapeutics LLC, explores how genetic genealogy has become a powerful tool for families of African descent to reclaim their histories and restore connections severed by displacement, migration, and historical traumas. Through a family-centered approach, Adwoa demonstrates how commercial DNA testing can do more than uncover personal ancestry—it can reconstruct the bonds of kinship across generations and continents. Drawing from real-life case studies, Adwoa will share stories of how African-descended families are using genetic genealogy to facilitate reconnecting with lost relatives, restoring collective memory, and explore opportunities for healing from intergenerational wounds. Attendees will learn about the unique challenges faced by these families, especially when traditional records and oral histories fall short, and how spanDNA’s method helps bridge the gaps using DNA analysis, compassionate research, and a collaborative, community-based approach. A key focus will be the culmination of these efforts at gatherings such as the upcoming Transatlantic Genealogy Summit 2025, where families who have reconnected through DNA will come together to celebrate their shared heritage, foster deeper connections, and continue building their family legacies. Attendees will walk away with: Insight into how genetic genealogy can be a transformative tool for family legacy-building, particularly within the African diaspora. Practical knowledge of how to use commercial DNA testing platforms to connect with genetic relatives and uncover ancestral histories. A better understanding of how family reunions and summits, such as the Transatlantic Genealogy Summit, can serve as a powerful culmination of genealogical research and DNA connections. Real-life examples of success stories and the emotional impact of restoring long-lost family ties. This presentation may inspire families to see themselves as protagonists in their own stories, capable of uncovering veiled memories and reclaiming their place within the larger, interconnected human family.

The mitochondrial tree of humanity has been rewritten, connecting all of us more closely than ever before on the new Mitotree. Everyone receives mitochondrial DNA only from their mother, who receives it from her mother, and so forth, all the way back in time to Mitochondrial Eve. Mitochondrial DNA is never admixed with the DNA of the other parent, so you never have to sort out which lines it comes from. We are all leaves on the twigs on the branches of the tree of humankind. The mitochondrial tree had not been updated since 2016, but now, with more than a Million samples to work with, 50 times more than before, the tree structure has been expanded eight-fold by combining samples from academic publications, ancient DNA, public sources and testers at FamilyTreeDNA. The new Mitotree and tools provide information never before available to genealogists about their matrilineal lineages. In addition to the vastly expanded genetic tree, FamilyTreeDNA has rolled out the companion MitoDiscover, a dozen fascinating chapters in your mitochondrial book. As a Million Mito Team member, Roberta will explain the challenges we overcame to create the tree of humanity – and how it’s useful to genealogists. All genealogists can benefit from the results of the Million Mito Project, because everyone has mitochondrial DNA that holds keys to information never before available! Let those brick walls fall!!!

Autosomal DNA (atDNA) is a powerful tool for genealogists, offering a window into your broader family tree. This lecture explores the science of atDNA inheritance, its strengths and limitations, and practical ways to apply it to your genealogical research. Discover how atDNA can help you identify unknown ancestors, connect with relatives, and solve family mysteries.

Jonny will introduce and demonstrate a new tool at dnapainter.com that can help you analyze and showcase shared DNA.

It’s not just how much DNA you share with your matches–it’s how much DNA they share with EACH OTHER that give needed clues to build family tree connections between your matches. MyHeritage’s Shared DNA Matches tool has been giving us that insight for a long time, and now other sites do, too. How do you leverage that data to answer your DNA questions? Come see how it works in real DNA case studies!

To introduce the concept of haplogroups to beginners, explaining what they are, how they are inherited, and what they reveal about ancient ancestry and human migration patterns. The session aims to demystify the complex terminology and provide practical insights into how haplogroups can be used in genetic genealogy and guide participants to find their own haplogroup.

Y-DNA and mtDNA have revolutionized genealogical research, breaking through barriers that once seemed insurmountable. This session dives into the unique inheritance patterns of Y-DNA and mtDNA, showing how these tests trace ancient ancestry and identify relationships both close and distant. Gain insights into their application for solving lineage mysteries and uncovering ancestral connections.

This case study illustrates how four simple words in a newspaper notice and DNA evidence became the key to unlocking Great Granny’s Irish roots. The research journey began with the cryptic phrase “Toowoomba papers please copy” in an 1886 death notice. This small clue directed the research to the Hanlon family in another location hundreds of kilometres away, with DNA evidence crucial to confirm the connection back to Kilkenny, Ireland. The presentation highlights the importance of scrutinising every detail in historical documents, no matter how small, and explores techniques for following unexpected leads across disparate locations, combining traditional research with DNA analysis.

This talk gives an overview of the investigative genetic genealogy process: what it is, where it is used and the basics of how it is undertaken. Nathan briefly discusses some real-life key cases that have used IGG and then moves on to his own fictional writing, focussing on the Venator Cold Case series, which uses this methodology to catch serial killers. He explains his meticulous research process, the experts that he consults and his process of writing.

MyHeritage DNA offers a key feature missing from its main competitors: a chromosome browser. That tool lets you view the DNA segments that you share with your matches. Export your matching segment data to DNA Painter and you can determine exactly what DNA you inherited from the ancestors you share with your DNA match. MyHeritage DNA even accepts DNA results from other DNA testing companies, so you can import that information into MyHeritage DNA and get matching segment data to use with DNA Painter. In this webinar, you’ll get step-by-step instructions.

This captivating webinar presents real-life stories of individuals who took a DNA test and received answers to questions they never asked. Each story opens the door to unexpected revelations, presenting profound ethical and moral dilemmas, the complex emotions and challenging decisions people need to make when unexpected information is revealed. How far should one go to uncover the truth? This webinar will echo long after it ends. Don’t miss out on these gripping tales of DNA surprises.

Pedigree triangulation is a game-changer for tackling genealogical brick walls, especially in the challenging pre-1850 era. This presentation offers a comprehensive look at this key methodology, illustrated through a real-life case study of proving the father of a woman’s 1828 birth. Learn to create genetic networks, group DNA matches, and apply key pedigree triangulation steps to break through long-standing brick walls. Discover practical strategies for integrating DNA analysis with documentary evidence, constructing revealing family trees, and creating clear genealogical diagrams.