Genes & Genealogy

06/05/2026

My popular Family History Academy 'Chromosome Mapping' course is back this month! The course will take place over two sessions on 14th & 28th June at 2:30pm Eastern/7:30pm UK time.

If you love addictive puzzles and would like to master mapping your DNA back to your ancestors then don't miss this opportunity to learn how to do it.

This course will provide in-depth step-by-step guidance and practical techniques to help you assign DNA segments to specific ancestors, create detailed chromosome maps, and make new family history discoveries. Here's what you'll learn:

• How to understand DNA segment data (this is essential before you can start mapping!)
• A detailed guide to conventional chromosome mapping
• An overview of the available chromosome mapping tools
• Step-by-step guidance on creating chromosome maps (at DNA Painter)
• Detailed instruction on inferred chromosome mapping
• Top tips on best practices and pitfalls to avoid

Both sessions will be recorded and recordings will be available for 14 days.

Find out more and book at: https://www.familyhistoryacademy.com.au/chromosome-mapping

Whether you’re starting your genealogical journey or an experienced researcher looking to refine your digital expertise, this course will help you maximise your efficiency, improve accuracy, and creatively share your research with others.

27/02/2026

I'm looking forward to teaching my ‘Unexpected DNA Surprises’ course for the Society of Genealogists as a full-day course on Saturday 14th March.

🗓 Sat 14th March 2026
🕒 2pm–8:30pm GMT
💻 Zoom

DNA is a powerful tool in genealogy, but it can sometimes reveal unexpected results. In this course, I’ll guide you through understanding and assessing these surprises. Whether it’s a close relative you didn’t know existed, distant connections that don’t align, or a lack of matches to known ancestral lines, this course offers practical guidance, case studies and step-by-step demonstrations to help you navigate these mysteries.

During the day you’ll learn how to:

• recognise when a DNA result is genuinely surprising
• logically assess possible explanations
• avoid common misinterpretations
• work through real case studies

Why attend?

If you’ve ever been puzzled by unexpected DNA connections, or want to feel confident and prepared just in case, this course is for you.

🔗 More info & booking: https://portal.sog.org.uk/Event/view/1608866

🎥 Recording available for one month (until 14th April) if you pre-book, so don’t worry if you can’t make it live - you can still catch up.

Full day online event with Michelle Leonard

26/02/2026

Unexpected DNA Results – with Michelle Leonard

DNA can break brick walls — but it can also bring surprises. Join Michelle Leonard of Genes & Genealogy for a full-day online course on how to identify, understand, and work through unexpected DNA results.

You’ll learn how to:
• Spot unexpected matches
• Analyse close and distant DNA surprises
• Work step by step with mystery matches
• Learn from real case studies

Recordings included (available until 14 April 2026)

📅 28 March 2026 | 14:00–20:30 | Online
👉 Book now and gain confidence in your DNA research

05/11/2025

🚨 𝑭𝑰𝑵𝑨𝑳 𝑪𝑶𝑼𝑹𝑺𝑬 𝑶𝑭 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝒀𝑬𝑨𝑹 𝑨𝑳𝑬𝑹𝑻! 🚨
My '𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘞𝘈𝘛𝘖 & 𝘞𝘈𝘛𝘖 𝘗𝘭𝘶𝘴: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘋𝘕𝘈 𝘔𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴' workshop hosted by Family History Academy begins this week.

This two-part workshop will delve deeply into why, when and how to use the ‘What Are The Odds?’ tools at DNA Painter. I’ll provide detailed step-by-step guidance on both the original and new WATO Plus tools, with everything demonstrated through genuine case study examples. By the end of the workshop, we’ll also explore more advanced WATO techniques that can help you supercharge your hypotheses!

𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬:
📅 6th & 20th November
🕒 3pm Eastern / 8pm UK
💻 Platform: Zoom
🎥 All sessions are closed captioned, recorded and available for viewing for 14 days following each session (so you can still attend even if you can't make it live)

𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬: One course attendee will win a one-year DNA Painter subscription (or a one-year extension if already subscribed), kindly gifted by Jonny Perl and DNA Painter

👉 Find out more and book here:
https://www.familyhistoryacademy.com.au/mastering-wato/

Whether you’re starting your genealogical journey or an experienced researcher looking to refine your digital expertise, this course will help you maximise your efficiency, improve accuracy, and creatively share your research with others.

03/11/2025

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐎 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥?

If you’ve seen discussions about What Are the Odds? (WATO) and WATO Plus and wanted to really understand how to apply them to complex cases, this upcoming 𝐭𝐰𝐨-𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 with Michelle Leonard might be exactly what you need.

Michelle will walk through:
✅ Building and testing WATO trees
✅ Evaluating and comparing hypotheses
✅ Using WATO Plus to handle complex or multiple relationships.

✨ Bonus: One course attendee will win a one-year DNA Painter subscription (or a one-year extension if already subscribed), kindly gifted by Jonny Perl and DNA Painter.

🗓️ 6 & 20 November @ 3 PM Eastern US
🎥 Recordings available for 14 days
🎓 Hosted by Family History Academy
https://www.familyhistoryacademy.com.au/mastering-wato/

11/08/2025

🚨 𝑷𝑬𝑵𝑼𝑳𝑻𝑰𝑴𝑨𝑻𝑬 𝑪𝑶𝑼𝑹𝑺𝑬 𝑶𝑭 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝒀𝑬𝑨𝑹 𝑨𝑳𝑬𝑹𝑻! 🚨
My 'Using DNA to Solve Unknown Parentage Mysteries' course hosted by Family History Academy begins this week.

Knowing where we come from is something most of us take for granted, but for those with unknown parentage situations, the search for answers can sometimes feel overwhelming.

This two-part course offers a clear, compassionate, and practical approach to solving those mysteries. Through genuine case studies, you will learn the important techniques I use in real-life casework to uncover missing parents and grandparents, including how to analyse DNA results and build targeted family trees.

Whether you’re searching for your own answers or helping someone else find theirs, this course will guide you step by step.

𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬:
📅 14th & 28th August
🕒 3pm Eastern / 8pm UK
💻 Platform: Zoom
🎥 All sessions are closed captioned, recorded and available for viewing for 14 days following each session

👉 Find out more and book here:
https://www.familyhistoryacademy.com.au/using-dna-to-solve-unknown-parentage-mysteries

Learn step-by-step strategies to solve unknown parent and grandparent cases using DNA and traditional research methods. Taught by DNA Detective Michelle Leonard.

03/06/2025

𝙁𝙄𝙉𝘼𝙇 𝘾𝘼𝙇𝙇! My popular Family History Academy 'Chromosome Mapping' course is back and begins tomorrow. The course will take place over two sessions on 4th & 18th June at 2:30pm Eastern/7:30pm UK time. If you love addictive puzzles and would like to master mapping your DNA back to your ancestors then don't miss this opportunity to learn how to do it.

This course will provide in-depth step-by-step guidance and practical techniques to help you assign DNA segments to specific ancestors, create detailed chromosome maps, and make new family history discoveries.

Here's what you'll learn:
• How to understand DNA segment data (this is essential before you can start mapping!)
• A detailed guide to conventional chromosome mapping
• An overview of the available chromosome mapping tools
• Step-by-step guidance on creating chromosome maps (at DNA Painter)
• Detailed instruction on inferred chromosome mapping
• Top tips on best practices and pitfalls to avoid

Both sessions will be recorded and recordings will be available for 14 days.

Find out more and book at: https://www.familyhistoryacademy.com.au/chromosome-mapping/

25/09/2024

📢 𝑬𝒙𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑵𝒆𝒘𝒔: 𝑴𝒚 𝑫𝑵𝑨 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒕𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒑 𝒊𝒔 𝑩𝑨𝑪𝑲! 🎉

The 5th edition of my popular Bootcamp in partnership with Family Tree Magazine kicks off 𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓, Wednesday, 25th September at 7pm BST! 🧬✨

When & Where:
📅 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬: Wednesdays 25th Sep-13th Nov
🕖 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞: 7pm BST
💻 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: Online via Zoom

This 8-week interactive course includes:
✅ 4 live webinars packed full of up-to-date DNA learning
✅ 4 interactive follow-up Q&A sessions
✅ My newly updated 52-page DNA Workbook (digital copy included with the course, with the option to purchase a print version)
✅ Access to a dedicated DNA Bootcamp Facebook group for ongoing support
✅ Pre-reading material and more!

💻 𝐂𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞? No problem! You’ll get access to session recordings shortly after each live event and throughout the course, plus for an additional 3 months after the final session. Watch and re-watch whenever it suits you!

Each week will provide you with new knowledge and step-by-step advice and there will be plenty of opportunities to pose your questions directly to me during the live sessions and in the dedicated Facebook group. If you're ready to enhance your family history research through DNA, this is your chance! 🚀

🌟 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐮𝐩 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: 👉 https://bit.ly/dna-bootcamp24

I'm excited to kick off another edition of the DNA Bootcamp and can’t wait to hear lots of participant success stories!🧬🕵️‍♂️

👉 Feel free to share this post!

19/09/2024

I'm looking forward to presenting my 'Combining DNA & Traditional Research: In-Depth Case Studies' presentation for the Florida State Genealogical Society's 'Poolside Chats' program this evening at 8pm EDT. Registration for this session is open to all but please note that the recording will only be available to FSGS members.

Webinar Abstract: DNA testing has exploded onto the genealogy scene in recent years and is now one of the most important tools available to advance family history research. In order to successfully use DNA testing for genealogy, however, it is essential to combine it…

17/09/2024

My next Family Tree Magazine DNA Club presentation takes place tomorrow!

Pitch it right when you reach out to a DNA match. Join us next week (Wed 18th Sept, 12.30pm UK time) for Michelle Leonard's webinar on DNA match messaging skills. Learn how best to message your matches. Find out more at https://tinyurl.com/de36ukzj