Congratulations to Momoko Ueda on successfully defending her PhD thesis

A warm congratulations to Momoko (Momo) Ueda, who successfully defended her PhD thesis entitled “Stable isotope analysis of known human tissues for forensic human geolocation.”

Stable isotope analysis of human tissues has increasingly been used in forensic studies as a tool to predict the geographical origin of unknown human remains to assist with solving missing persons cases. The analysis provides insight into the geographical history of an individual as the isotope values reflect those of local drinking water, which, in turn, are influenced by precipitation water values that vary geographically in a predictable pattern. The current approach involves the use of linear regression models to predict drinking water values from human tissues; however, the models have not yet been properly validated.

Ueda’s dissertation aimed to validate these models using known human tissue collected from across Metro Vancouver and further explored the usefulness of non-linear regression models for human geolocation. Results demonstrated the inadequacy of using linear regression models for predicting geographical origin, and that geographical assignment of individuals can be achieved by models such as the classification tree models.

Ueda currently works as a data scientist at a company that provides a platform for researchers in industry, academia, and government to identify violent threats, disinformation, and reputation risks.

We wish Ueda all the best in her future endeavors!