Episode 166 | Just the Biology and DNA Portfolio

In episode four of our 2021 NIJ R&D and Beyond mini season, Just Science sat down with Tracey Johnson, a physical scientist and program manager in the Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences at NIJ, to discuss the NIJ Biology and DNA research portfolio.  

Although Tracey Johnson is relatively new to NIJ, she has a depth of professional experience from which she can draw. As a 20-year veteran in the field of forensic DNA analysis, she is no stranger to the needs and gaps in the discipline. Listen along as she discusses her career path, the intersection of forensics and other scientific disciplines, and the NIJ Biology and DNA research portfolio in this episode of Just Science. 

This episode of Just Science is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence [Award 2016-MU-BX-K110].

Original Release Date: June 25, 2021

2021 NIJ R&D Symposium Archive

Guest Bio

Tracey Johnson is a Physical Scientist in the Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences at the National Institute of Justice, US Department of Justice. She oversees NIJ’s Forensic Biology Research and Development portfolio, which seeks to advance technologies across the forensic biology spectrum. She brings 20 years of experience at both public and private DNA testing laboratories to her current role. She also has experience with traditional and challenged samples using autosomal short tandem repeats (STRs), Y-STRs, mitochondrial DNA, and single nucleotide polymorphism analysis. Additionally, Ms. Johnson’s background includes experience with next-generation sequencing techniques, familial analysis, laboratory efficiencies, high-throughput processing, and laboratory information management system testing and evaluation.