August Woerner

August Woerner, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Genetics at the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC), with a secondary appointment in the Center for Human Identification. His work spans computational and population genetics, focusing on forensic applications, bioinformatics pipelines, and machine learning in genomics. He holds a PhD in Genetics and an MS in Computer Science from the University of Arizona.

• Education:
  • MS in Computer Science, University of Arizona
  • PhD in Genetics, University of Arizona
• Research Focus: Forensic genomics, computational methods for DNA/mixture analysis, and applications of machine learning in population genetics.

Dr. Woerner’s research emphasizes optimizing bioinformatics tools for forensic use, including improving MPS data interpretation, developing algorithms for DNA mixture deconvolution, and advancing statistical inference techniques. He leads projects funded by agencies like NIJ and Signature Science, focusing on topics such as mitochondrial DNA databases, forensic protein recovery, and reducing human trafficking through forensic technologies.

His work bridges computational innovation and practical forensics, addressing challenges like low-template DNA samples, allele calling accuracy, and kinship inference. Collaborations span forensic science, microbiology, and computational biology, with notable contributions to STR locus analysis, mitochondrial DNA mixture interpretation, and microbial genotyping for human identification.