Education
- Ph.D. Biomedical Sciences/Molecular and Medical Genetics, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, 2014
- M.A. Anthropology/Human Skeletal Biology Program, Graduate School of Arts and Science, New York University, New York, NY, 2006
- B.A. Anthropology/major, Philosophy/minor, cum laude, Honors College and the College of Arts and Sciences, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY, 2003
About Laura
Dr. Laura Gaydosh Combs is an experienced forensic scientist/DNA analyst and a member of the Forensic Science Department faculty at the University of New Haven. She serves the UNewHaven community as a department representative to the Pre-Health Professions and Pre-Law Advisory Committees and the broader forensic science community on the Forensic Research Committee of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors, American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) Standards Board working group, and as a reviewer for the Journal of Forensic Sciences. Her research explores the foundational assumptions of forensic biology, characterizing normality in various contexts to prevent miscarriages of justice from misinterpreted or limited data sets, integrating machine learning/artificial intelligence models into laboratory operations, and expanding quality management to include data authentication and data integrity. She is an active member of the and encourages research collaborations between academic researchers, operational laboratories, and our industry partners (vendors).
Dr. Combs’s interests in computer science and epistemological foundations were established in conjunction with her baccalaureate Anthropology research in the Honors College at Adelphi University and continued into the Human Skeletal Biology Masters Program in the Anthropology Department at New York University. Dr. Combs completed a Fellowship in Forensic Biology with the Virginia Institute of Forensic Science and Medicine before securing employment as a Forensic Scientist with the Virginia Department of Forensic Science. After encountering technical challenges associated with extracting DNA from skeletal samples in casework, she pursued research focused on elucidating their root causes. As a National Institute of Justice Graduate Research Fellow, she earned her doctoral degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University of North Texas Health Science Center while working as an instructor for their specialized master’s program in Forensic Genetics. Her postdoctoral research and training were completed within the Center for Human Identification, continuing to focus on physical and biochemical factors affecting extraction of DNA from skeletonized samples.
Prior to accepting her position at the University of New Haven, Dr. Combs worked for state and local laboratories in forensic and databasing units. These experiences continue to inform her research focus and commitment to strengthening the evidence base of forensic biology practice.
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