This year's Family History Days brings together professional genealogists and family historians from around the world to help beginner & seasoned researchers alike find their story. In the weeks leading up to Family History Days on March 18 & 19, we'll be spotlighting several of the event's featured speakers.

Click here to register for Family History Days or visit hsp.org/FHD

Blaine Bettinger, Ph.D., J.D., is an intellectual property attorney by day and a genetic genealogist by night. In 2007, he started The Genetic Genealogist, one of the earliest blogs on the topic. For the past eight years, it has been his mission to bridge the gap between traditional genealogy and genetic genealogy. He has been interviewed and quoted on personal genomics topics in Newsweek, New Scientist, Wired, and others. He authored 2008's I Have the Results of My Genetic Genealogy Test, Now What?, which is distributed by Family Tree DNA to all of their new customers. An update to the ebook is in the works.

Blaine frequently authors articles and gives presentations to educate others about the use of DNA to explore their ancestry. He is an instructor for genetic genealogy courses at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR), Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG), Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP), Virtual Institute of Genealogical Research, and Family Tree University. Blaine was also recently elected to the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society’s Board of Trustees, and graduated from ProGen Study Group 21 in 2015.

In Blaine's own words:

"My name is Blaine Bettinger and I have been using traditional genealogical research to learn more about my ancestry for almost 20 years. I entered the world of direct-to-consumer genetics in 2003 with an autosomal DNA test from one of the first companies offering this type of testing. I have a Ph.D. in biochemistry with a concentration in genetics and am extremely interested in the recent developments in genetic genealogy."

Current Memberships:

• Former Editor for the Journal of Genetic Genealogy (2010-2012)
• Administrator for the Bettinger Surname Project
• Co-Administrator for the R1b-L1/S26 Y-DNA Haplogroup Project (formerly The NULL439 DNA Project)

Sample Articles:

• Genetic Genealogy: A Powerful Tool for the Family Historian at PRI’s The World
• Top Genetic Genealogy Tools at Family Tree Magazine
• Genealogy Insider: Ancestry.com’s New DNA Test at Family Tree Magazine
• More Power to You at Family Tree Magazine
• Resources for Starting a DNA Surname Study at Family Tree Magazine

Sample Interviews and Spotlights:

• PRI’s The World – Roots 2.0: Using DNA to Trace My Ancestry by Carol Zall
• Treelines – Science and Faith in One Family Tree by Tammy Hepps
• Newsweek – Provided a segment in What Can I Learn From At-Home DNA Tests? by Mary Carmichael.
• Family Tree Magazine – Fab Forty by Maureen A. Taylor
• NewScientist – My ‘non-human’ DNA: a cautionary tale by Peter Aldhous.
• RootsTelevision – Blaine Bettinger, The Genetic Genealogist with Dick Eastman.
• Eye on DNA – Genetic Genealogist Dr. Blaine Bettinger on DNA and Genealogy with Hsien-Hsien Lei, Ph.D.

Sample Publications:

• I Have The Results Of My Genetic Genealogy Test, Now What?
• 10 DNA Myths Busted, and Other Favorite Posts

Click here to register for Family History Days or visit hsp.org/FHD