John M. Butler (born April 1, 1969) is a scientist and expert on forensic

DNA profiling DNA profiling (also called DNA fingerprinting) is the process of determining an individual's DNA characteristics. DNA analysis intended to identify a species, rather than an individual, is called DNA barcoding. DNA profiling is a forensic tec ...

. He is a fellow at the

National Institute of Standards and Technology The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce whose mission is to promote American innovation and industrial competitiveness. NIST's activities are organized into physical sci ...

. Since 2020, he serves as president of the

International Society for Forensic Genetics The International Society for Forensic Genetics – ISFG is an international non-profit scientific society founded in 1968. The main goal of the society is to advance the field of forensic genetics, also termed DNA profiling, through disseminatio ...

.ISFG Executive Committee
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Education

Butler received his bachelor's degree in Chemistry from

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

. From 1993-1995, he worked as a visiting scientist at the

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

and earned his Ph.D. in Analytical chemistry from the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective adm ...

in 1995. After a first employment as postdoctoral fellow at the

for two years, he continued to work 1997-1999 as a staff scientist for the start-up company ''GeneTrace Systems Inc.'' using

time-of-flight mass spectrometry Time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS) is a method of mass spectrometry in which an ion's mass-to-charge ratio is determined by a time of flight measurement. Ions are accelerated by an electric field of known strength. This acceleration resul ...

for the separation of short tandem repeat markers.

Professional career

Since 2000, Butler works at the

NIST The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce whose mission is to promote American innovation and industrial competitiveness. NIST's activities are organized into physical sc ...

, first as project leader and since 2008 as group leader of the ''Applied Genetics Group''. In 2013 he was promoted to ''Special Assistant to the Director for Forensic Science, NIST Office of Special Programs''. He co-chaired the ''National Commission of Forensic Sciences (NCFS)'' invoked by the

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

in 2013, to enhance the practice and improve the reliability of forensic science. The NCFS was terminated on April 23, 2017 following the presidential administration change and has published a business document both reflecting on the work done and the future work ahead. Butler has written several widely recognized textbooks on forensic

covering all aspects of the underlying molecular genetic methods, the application to forensic casework and the biostatistical interpretation of results. He received the Scientific Prize of the

in 2003.

Board memberships and committees

* Since 2000: ''Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM)'' * 2010-2018: Associate editor of Forensic Science International: Genetics * Editorial Board member of

Journal of Forensic Sciences The ''Journal of Forensic Sciences'' (''JFS'') is a bimonthly peer-reviewed scientific journal is the official publication of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, published by Wiley-Blackwell. It covers all aspects of forensic science. The mi ...

* Since 2016: Executive board member of the International Society for Forensic Genetics (ISFG)https://www.isfg.org/About/Alumni last access 27 March 2021

References

External links

John Butler NIST staff page
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, John M. Living people Brigham Young University alumni University of Virginia alumni Forensic scientists Forensic genetics 1969 births