Hans Jakob Larsen

Hans Jakob Larsen is a Forensic Geneticist at the Department of Forensic Genetics within the Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Copenhagen's Faculty of Health Sciences. With over 25 years of continuous service since 1999, he conducts forensic DNA analysis, manages crime case investigations, and provides expert testimony in Danish courts.

His educational background includes:

• Master of Science (cand. scient.) from University of Aarhus (1992)
• Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from University of Aarhus (1994)
• Specialized training in Forensic Statistics (2005) and DNA analysis techniques

Larsen's research centers on forensic DNA methodologies, specializing in mitochondrial DNA sequencing, STR analysis, and complex DNA mixture interpretation. His work bridges molecular biology and criminalistics, developing protocols for biological trace evidence analysis and statistical evaluation of DNA evidence. Recent publications demonstrate increasing focus on international collaborative frameworks for standardizing DNA mixture interpretation and software validation in forensic laboratories.

His publication trends since 2015 show concentrated efforts in probabilistic genotyping systems (STRmix™) and expert software development (EDNA), addressing critical challenges in low-template DNA and mixture deconvolution. The 2025 ReAct project represents current work establishing cross-laboratory standards for DNA recovery analysis under activity-level propositions.

Larsen has managed forensic laboratories (5-16 technicians) and temporarily led the Crime Case Section (20 academics, 40 technicians). His teaching portfolio includes specialized courses for Danish police on biological trace analysis and seminars for legal professionals on DNA evidence interpretation. He contributed to the 2005 Thai Tsunami Victim Identification operation and maintains active casework involvement.