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Integrating and Connecting for successful research!
DNA Summer School 2026
We are back for our seventh annual DNA Summer School – 2 classes each day covering Y-DNA, Mt-DNA and autosomal DNA, with something for all levels of DNA researchers. Even if you have attended Summer School previously, you will find lots of new content and ideas in 2026.
The theme of this year’s school is “Integrating and Connecting for successful research”. These classes will explore how bringing information together from different sources can strengthen your research and lead to more discoveries. Whether you are combining different types of DNA data, connecting evidence across multiple sites, or placing your findings in a broader context, you will learn how integration can increase the value of your results.
Our Guest Speakers at DNA Summer School in 2026 are the very best in their field and we are delighted that they are joining us.
Dave Vance is the Senior Vice President and General Manager for FamilyTreeDNA. He is a lifelong genealogist with a professional background in IT services. After taking a National Geographic Genographic Project DNA test in 2005, he became deeply involved in genetic genealogy research and is a writer and speaker on the subject.
Maarten Larmuseau is a professor of genetic genealogy and a biologist. His research brings together population genetics, genealogy and history to examine how biological relationships have shaped human society.
Donna Rutherford is a well known London-based Genetic Genealogist and blends New Zealand heritage with ancestral ties to England, Scotland, and Ireland. She is an author and speaker with an emphasis on making genealogy easy to understand.
Dr Turi King is a renowned geneticist, archaeologist, writer and television presenter. She currently serves as Director of the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath and is widely known for her pioneering work in forensic and ancient DNA.
Can’t attend live?
All classes are via Zoom and the live presentations (except Finding Richard 111) will be recorded, making it easier for people in different time zones to participate. Anyone who has registered for a class will receive a link to the video after the end of Summer School. The recording will be available to view for 28 days. Recordings will not include the Q&A sessions.
Each class will be approximately 90 minutes. This is usually a one-hour presentation followed by questions and answers.
The price per class is £10 and, because we know how many of you like to book all 10, we are again offering a discounted price of £80 for the full package.
Our DNA Summer School is extremely popular – book now to secure your place!
Bookings
If you need to cancel your booking, please contact us at least 7 days before the date of the class to receive a full refund. Any cancellations within 7 days of the class date will not be refunded. However, we will transfer your booking to a different class if possible.
Classes are at 2pm and 7pm London time. Check the time where you are here.
Please email our Education team if you have any queries about this course.
You will receive your booking via email immediately following your booking and payment. Please make sure you keep it somewhere you can find it as it also contains the link for the Zoom meeting on the day.
24th August to 28th August
Book all 10 classes and save!
Immerse yourself in DNA for the whole 5 days of Summer School with 2 classes per day.
Or watch the recordings at a time to suit you. (Recordings will be available for 28 days after the event.)
Monday 24th August
2pm Integrating Autosomal, Y and MT DNA to Solve Genealogical Problems
Anne Johnston
Each type of DNA test gives you valuable information on its own. Integrate your Y-DNA, Mt-DNA and your autosomal to discover much more.
7pm Why Ancestry is not enough
Martin McDowell
If we have loads of matches on Ancestry, why do you need to do a DNA test on other sites? Find out how using more than one platform can move your research forward with different tools and information.
Tuesday 25th August
2pm Endogamy and Pedigree Collapse: A Practical Guide
Anne Johnston
What exactly is endogamy or pedigree collapse and do we have either in our tree? Learn how to recognise and deal with this very common occurrence using your DNA information across various third party sites.
7pm Using Discover for Y-DNA and mtDNA
Martin McDowell
The Discover tool on FamilyTreeDNA provides complex results for Y-DNA and Mt-DNA in an easy-to-understand format. Learn how to bring its different strands of information together to make meaningful connections in your research.
Wednesday 26th August
2pm Everyone wants to be Irish
Martin McDowell
Ethnicity results tell lots of people they are Irish but what does that actually mean? This talk looks at historical population movements in Ireland and examines how we can use our DNA results to discover who our distant ancestors really were.
7pm Y DNA and The Tree of Mankind
Dave Vance
This talk will give an overview of Y-DNA and the importance of the Tree of Mankind. As the General Manager at FamilyTreeDNA, Dave will also give us a sneak peak into one or two of their upcoming developments.
Thursday 27th August
2pm Successes with Geographical Projects
Anne Johnston & Martin McDowell
DNA Projects are invaluable in discovering the story of a given place and developing the trees of individual families that lived there. When we combine traditional genealogy with targeted DNA testing, we can now build our trees back further than we could ever have hoped.
7pm Mommy’s baby, daddy’s maybe: genetic genealogical reconstruction of extra-pair paternity behaviour
Maarten Larmuseau
Genetic genealogy can link DNA and historical records to investigate past paternal lines. This talk explores extra-pair paternity over time, including ancient DNA work on Patrick Sarsfield, an Irish soldier from the 17th century and the quest to identify him.
Friday 28th August
2pm Using AI for DNA
Donna Rutherford
AI has firmly landed into our toolbox of genealogy research tools. Discover how AI combines with traditional research to enhance our skills in looking for those elusive ancestors.
7pm Finding Richard III
Dr Turi King
Dr Turi King led the genetic research that confirmed the identity of the remains of Richard 111. Hear how she went about the task and how the evidence helped to shed new light on this infamous English monarch.
Please note: This talk will not be recorded.