About DNA Diagnostics, Inc.
DNA Diagnostics, Inc.™ came into existence in 1985, under the name of Shelterwood Laboratories, at that time, a sole proprietorship. It remained as such until 1990, at which time it was chartered under the name of DNA Diagnostics, Inc.™. There is a certificate on file that provides for DNA Diagnostics, Inc.™ to do business as Shelterwood Laboratories, and that Shelterwood Laboratories is a division of DNA Diagnostics, Inc.™ relating to animal genetic testing. Since that time, and in fact since 1993, DNA Diagnostics, Inc.™ has expanded services to include human DNA testing including human forensics and paternity testing. The staff at DNA Diagnostics, Inc.™ also has published research on a continuing basis since 1988.
Shelterwood Laboratories was originally established as an immunogenetic and diagnostic laboratory specializing in veterinary diagnostics and equine genetic and immunological studies. Since that time, Shelterwood Laboratories now incorporated as DNA Diagnostics, Inc.™, has evolved into a laboratory that provides multi-species testing including human as well as animal DNA testing for individuals, law enforcement, breed associations, and state regulatory agencies. DNA Diagnostics is a member of The International Society of Animal Genetics (ISAG) as an institutional member. Shelterwood Laboratories/DNA Diagnostics, Inc.™ participates in both human and animal proficiency testing. In addition, Shelterwood Laboratories/DNA Diagnostics. Inc.™ had the honor of serving as the duty laboratory for the 1996 ISAG international equine proficiency test and the 1997 SWIGDAM human proficiency test. 
This assures that all of our testing is of the highest quality and the staff at DNA Diagnostics, Inc.™ is eminently qualified to provide superior DNA testing services to our clients. The laboratory facilities are designed to meet the demands of high volume contract service work. DNA Diagnostics,™ is completely computerized with networked database systems specifically designed for handling high volume genetic testing. Additionally, the unquestionable quality of the staff, state of the art instrumentation and modern facilities puts DNA Diagnostics, Inc.™ on the cutting edge of technology in DNA testing.
Dr. Melba S. Ketchum,
Director, DNA Diagnostics, Inc.
Dr. Melba S. Ketchum grew up in Texas City, Texas. She is a Moody Scholar and attended Texas A&M University where she received her doctorate in Veterinary Medicine after five years at the university. She had a mixed veterinary practice until she founded DNA Diagnostics. Dr. Ketchum has shown horses extensively and has a ranch in Texas where she still maintains registered Quarter Horses and American Paint Horses as well as a herd of Charolais cattle.
Dr. Ketchum is the president and founder of DNA Diagnostics, Inc. d/b/a Shelterwood Laboratories. Established in 1985, DNA Diagnostics has become a leader in all types of DNA testing including: human and animal forensics, human and animal paternity and parentage testing, disease diagnostics, trait tests, animal and human identity testing, species identification and sex determination. Most common species of animals are tested at DNA Diagnostics.
Dr. Ketchum has also established a research program ranging from gene mapping to developing the VeriSNP™ (patent pending) platform for universal genetic evaluation in multiple species of animals. Other research includes genetics of disease, population genetics and other genetically important traits such as coat color in animals.
Dr. Ketchum is a past three-term Chairperson of the International Society for Animal Genetics Equine Genetics Standing Committee. She has also been Dog Map Chairperson and a Committee member on the Dog and Cat Parentage Committee. She is currently the Treasurer for AFDAA, The Association of DNA Analysts and Administrators.
Dr. Ketchum has a daughter and a son and lives on her Attoyac Valley Ranch in East Texas.
Dr. E. Gus Cothran,
Clinical Professor,
Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Science, Texas A&M University
Dr. Cothran was born and raised in Texas and graduated from El Paso-Burgess High School. From there he went to North Texas State University in Denton where he obtained my BS and MS degrees in Biology. He received his PhD in genetics from the University of Oklahoma in 1982. From OU, he went to the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory near Aiken, South Carolina. Here he primarily was involved in population genetic studies of white-tailed deer. His next stop was the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research in San Antonio, Texas where he worked on genetics of horses and a species of South American opossum. From there he moved to the University of Kentucky in 1986. At UK, Dr. Cothran was the Director of the Equine Parentage Testing and Research Laboratory and Research Professor in the Department of Veterinary Science. In 2006 Dr. Cothran moved to Texas A&M University where he is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences which is in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Science. In addition to a DNA genotyping laboratory that does typing of horses, cattle, cats and dogs, he is involved in research in genetic mapping, genetics of specific characteristics (such as coat color and hereditary disease), population genetics and conservation genetics of rare breeds.
Dr. Cothran was a four time Chair of the International Society of Animal Genetics (ISAG) standing committee for Thoroughbred DNA Typing Standardization and a past chair of the Equine Standing Committee of ISAG. In addition he has served on the Deer Genetics Standing Committee and the ISAG/FAO Standing Committee for Domestic Animal Genetic Diversity since 1986.
Dr. Cothran is married and has a daughter and son.
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