Spanish and Portuguese Speaking Working Group of the International Society for Forensic Genetics
 | |
 Countries represented by GHEP-ISFG members | |
| Abbreviation | GHEP-ISFG |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1989 |
Official languages | English, Spanish, Portuguese |
Executive Committee | Ulises Toscanini, President
Lourdes Prieto, Vicepresident Cintia Alves, Treasurer Héctor Rangel-Villalobos, Secretary |
| Website | Official Web site [1] |
The Spanish and Portuguese Speaking Working Group of the International Society for Forensic Genetics, namely GHEP-ISFG (formerly GEP-ISFH, then GEP-ISFG) is a non-profit organization created under the Spanish civil law and registered in the Spanish National Registry of Associations. The main goal of the group is to stimulate continuing education of its members in the forensic genetics field by promoting different types of scientific and academic activities: an annual meeting, an ISO accredited proficiency test, a number of research groups and the organization of workshops and educational courses. These activities lead to the publication of scientific research papers.
History and Membership[edit]
The GHEP-ISFG was founded in 1989 during the 13th World Congress of the ISFG (ISFH at that time)..[1] The initial aim of the founder representatives at that time was to create a collaborative exercise to allow the laboratories in Spain and Portugal to evaluate the quality of their results.[2] That was the origin of the current GHEP-ISFG Intercomparison Exercise which took place in 1992, and the germinal nucleus around which, forensic geneticists from Spain, Portugal, later Latin America, and more recently other European countries, joined the group. The organization became registered in the Spanish National Registry of Associations in 1997 with the number 162 045[3].
Main areas of specialization include molecular biology, human and non-human DNA typing, population genetics, biostatistics, criminal and civil law, ethics, among others. Nowadays, the GHEP-ISFG gathers around 300 affiliates from about 150 public and private laboratories from Spain, Portugal, Latin America and other European countries. Conceived as a working group of the ISFG[4], all members must have a regular ISFG membership and applicants must be presented by at least two GHEP-ISFG members.[5]
Academic and Scientific Activities[edit]
The Annual Meeting[edit]
Every year the GHEP-ISFG organizes a scientific meeting, named Jornadas de Genética Forense. One GHEP-ISFG member, who must present the proposal to the Executive Committee with sufficient anticipation, organizes the meeting.[6] The General Assembly must approve the proposal at least one year before the meeting. Usually the meeting takes place alternatively in a country of America or Europe, except when the meeting is organized in the same place as the ISFG congress. During the meeting, the results of the annual Intercomparison Exercise carried out that year are presented to and discussed with the participants. Additionally, 1-day or 2-day workshops on forensic genetics topics are included in the program. Also there is a special slot for the presentation of new GHEP-ISFG working commissions and reports of the commissions in curse. The Annual General Assembly is celebrated during the meeting. The group has developed specific guidelines that rule the annual meeting organization.
The Intercomparison Exercise[edit]
The first exercise took place in 1992, from the time when it became annually organized. Since then, the exercise continuously evolved as new technologies were incorporated into the field and as the number of GHEP-ISFG members became greater. In 2011 the exercise was named “GHEP-ISFG Intercomparison Exercise” (IE).
Currently the IE is organized in two levels:
- “Basic Level”, containing a kinship module, and a forensic module (including both, a practical and a theoretical study each); and
- “Advanced Level” that includes a kinship module with a kinship paper challenge, and a forensic module (that includes both, a practical study with samples of increased and diverse complexity, and a theoretical forensic paper challenge).
The exercise organization is outsourced to the Quality Department of the National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences (INTCF) from Madrid (Spain), where samples are prepared and delivered. The exercise coordinator from the INTCF is in charge of the analyzes of the submitted results, which are then preliminary presented in the Annual Meeting and where problematic points are also discussed with the participants.[7]
A certificate is issued to the participants where their performance is reflected according to pre-established grading categories. This certificate is one of the only two accepted by the Spanish National Commission for the Forensic Use of DNA[8]
Stimulated by the raising need of the laboratories to become accredited under ISO/IEC 17025:2005, and the need to improve and assure the quality of their services, as well as to demonstrate their competence, the Intercomparison Exercise was successfully accredited in December 2014 under ISO/IEC 17043:2010.[9]
The Working Commissions[edit]
A number of matters emerged since the first exercise and different topics served as motivation for the creation of specific GHEP-ISFG Working Commissions. Their main goals were to investigate and to provide solutions in a precise area of forensic genetics. Hence, several Working Commissions had their opportunity in the past to contribute to another of the earliest objectives of the GHEP-ISFG that is the development and spread of scientific knowledge in the field (e.g. Working Commissions for collaborative exercises on INDEL, SNP, mitochondrial DNA and sex chromosome polymorphisms, non-human genetics and species identification, Working Commission on mixture analyses, etc.)[10]. This approach was maintained until present. GHEP-ISFG Working Commissions can be proposed each year during the GHEP-ISFG General Assembly and its implementation has to be approved by the majority of the voters.[5] Nowadays, an initial period of two years is set for the first phase of each new Working Commission that is created, which can be extended if new questions are posted. Objectives may range from addressing technical or theoretical difficulties, developing collaborative exercises for validation of data and new methodologies, dealing with ethics and continuing education, among others.[10]
Workshops and Courses[edit]
The GHEP-ISFG permanently stimulates teaching activities. In this regard, the group offers academic auspice to courses and workshops, coordinated and / or organized by GHEP-ISFG members.[11][12] The Executive Committee evaluates proposals in order to guarantee the quality of the contents and presenters.[13] Subjects covered in workshops include software for statistical evaluation of DNA evidence, Y-chromosome, mitochondrial DNA and X-chromosome.[14][15]
Scientific Publications[edit]
The results of several collaborative exercises, Working Commissions, as well as from different Intercomparison Exercises were published in peer-reviewed[16] journals that greatly contributed not only to the spread of knowledge, but importantly to encourage many new forensic geneticists from different countries to become GHEP-ISFG members and to participate in the Intercomparison Exercises. A complete list of the publications arisen from the GHEP-ISFG environment is available at GHEP-ISFG website.
Honorary Members[edit]
The GHEP-ISFG General Assembly has distinguished Josefina Gómez-Fernández as honorary member due to her contribution as coordinator of the GHEP-ISFG collaborative exercise since its creation.[17]
External links[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ A. Alonso, C. Albarrán (2000). "The Spanish and Portuguese ISFG Working Group: Ten Years Coordinating DNA Typing In Spain Portugal and Latin America". Retrieved 2017-12-14.
- ↑ Gómez, J.; Carracedo, A. (2000-10-09). "The 1998-1999 collaborative exercises and proficiency testing program on DNA typing of the Spanish and Portuguese Working Group of the International Society for Forensic Genetics (GEP-ISFG)". Forensic Science International. 114 (1): 21–30. ISSN 0379-0738. PMID 10924847.
- ↑ "Registro Nacional de Asociaciones". Ministerio del Interior. Gobierno de España. 2018-06-26.
- ↑ Butler, John M. (November 2017). "Spanish and Portuguese Speaking Working Group". Retrieved 2017-12-14.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 GHEP-ISFG, ed. (2009). "Statutes". Retrieved 2017-12-14.
- ↑ "Directrices de organización de las Jornadas anuales" (PDF). Executive Committee of the GHEP-ISFG. Retrieved 2018-06-26.
- ↑ GHEP-ISFG (ed.). "Proficiency Testing". Retrieved 2017-12-14.
- ↑ "Acuerdo sobre acreditación y control de calidad de los laboratorios". Comisión Técnica Permanente de la Comisión Nacional para el uso forense del ADN. Retrieved 2018-06-26.
- ↑ "Technical Annex Rev. 2, Accreditation no. 8/PPI016". Spanish National Accreditation Entity, ENAC. 2016-06-24. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 O. García; et al. (2017). "The contribution of thematic networks to the strengthening of forensic genetics in Latin America". Revista de Ciencias Forenses de Honduras. Volume 3, no. 2: 38–47.
- ↑ "Del Laboratorio al Tribunal". Sección de Genética Forense y Criminalística Del Instituto de Medicina Legal de Valencia (IMLV). 2015-03-05. Retrieved 2018-06-27.
- ↑ Torres, Vicente (2017-04-18). "Invitación al Workshop Internacional, Retos en Genética Forense: Análisis Genético Poblacional, Mezclas y Acreditación de Laboratorios". Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Retrieved 2018-06-27.
- ↑ GHEP-ISFG (ed.). "Working Commissions". Retrieved 2017-12-14.
- ↑ Egeland, Thore. "Familias (statistical evaluation of DNA evidence software) courses before 2016" (PDF). Retrieved 2018-06-22.
- ↑ Egeland, Thore. "Familias (statistical evaluation of DNA evidence) courses on or after 2016". Retrieved 2016-06-22.
- ↑ GHEP ISFG, ed. (2017). "Publications" (List of publications). Retrieved 2017-12-14.
- ↑ "Acta de las XVIII Jornadas de Sevilla". Actas de las Asambleas Generales del GHEP-ISFG. 2013-09-20.
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