Mr David Swanepoel is a forensic geneticist and initially trained in biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology at the University of the Witwatersrand. His professional career began in the forensic biology domain as a forensic DNA consultant. He initially provided operational and technical support to the South African Police Service (SAPS) on their fully- automated Genetic Sample Processing System (GSPS) at the National Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Pretoria. During this time, Mr Swanepoel was also involved with the training of both legal and scientific professionals in aspects of the forensic DNA process and the application of science to the law. As a former trainer for the DNA Project, he helped present public awareness workshops on the use of DNA as evidence to aid in investigating criminal matters and the critical need to secure crime scenes and protect any evidence on those scenes.
Mr Swanepoel later moved to Lancet Laboratories, where he overhauled and further automated the existing parentage and kinship testing processes. Whilst there, he provided testing services for ad-hoc forensic DNA profiling requests, consulted as an expert in reviewing civil and criminal case reports involving forensic DNA and provided written or oral expert witness testimony on such matters for courts.
Following the completion of his MSc in Forensic Genetics studies in 2022, Mr Swanepoel started working for the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), an international organisation based in The Hague, as the Quality Officer for the in-house human identification DNA laboratory. He is currently a DNA Validation Scientist and is responsible for the quality assurance and quality control of the laboratory.
