Walther Parson

Walther Parson, a biology graduate, serves as Associate Professor at Penn State University since 2010 and leads research at the Institute of Forensic Medicine (GMI) of the Medical University of Innsbruck since 1994. He heads both the High Throughput DNA Databasing Unit and the Forensic Genomics Research Area at GMI.

His research pioneers forensic genomics applications including DNA fingerprinting, DNA phenotyping, and the EMPOP mitochondrial DNA database. Notable work involves genomic identification of historical figures such as the Romanov dynasty, Mozart, and Schiller, bridging cutting-edge DNA analysis with historical forensic investigation.

Parson directs critical infrastructure through the High Throughput DNA Databasing Unit and Forensic Genomics Research Area, advancing national and international forensic DNA databasing standards while solving cold cases and historical mysteries through genomic techniques.