Dr. Rachel Houston, Associate Professor, Sam Houston State University
Dr. Rachel Houston is an Associate Professor in the Department of Forensic Science at Sam Houston State University. She earned her PhD in Forensic Science from SHSU as a National Institute of Justice Graduate Research Fellow. Her research focuses on advancing forensic DNA workflows, including improving the processing of sexual assault kits through more efficient extraction methods, automation and next-generation sequencing (NGS). Her work also spans DNA recovery from challenging samples, differentiation of cannabis types and environmental DNA applications. Dr. Houston also collaborates with industry partners to translate research into practical solutions for forensic laboratories and is committed to training the next generation of forensic scientists.
