Buffett Q&A: Professor Sara Huston on Leveraging DNA Technology to Reconnect Families During Crises

Welcome to our inaugural Buffett Q&A, a new series profiling faculty and students in the Buffett Institute community.

For this installment, we spoke with Sara Huston, Genetics Ethicist at Lurie Children's Hospital and Research Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. She co-leads the Global FamDNA Working Group at the Buffett Institute.

Tell us about you and your work. What does the Global FamDNA Working Group seek to accomplish?

For the past 20 years, my work has focused on the legal and social implications of using genetic data in healthcare and law enforcement. My expertise lies in leveraging DNA technology to reconnect missing individuals with their families during humanitarian crises.

DNA data holds immense potential to reunite families, but it also contains highly sensitive information that must be protected from bad actors. As DNA technology advances, it is both a moral and ethical imperative to use these tools to support family reunification. At the same time, we must ensure that the vulnerable populations we aim to help are safeguarded from potential harm.

With this in mind, Global FamDNA studies how to harness the power of genetic data while implementing ethical safeguards. Our research identifies the barriers that currently prevent DNA data from being used effectively to reunite families separated by disasters, conflicts and immigration. By addressing these challenges, we aim to create responsible and secure protocols and systems that prioritize both humanitarian efforts and personal privacy. 

What inspired the creation of the Global FamDNA Working Group?

We began this research during the first Trump administration when approximately 5,000 families were separated at the US-Mexico border. At the time, the US government began using DNA testing to reunite families. However, our investigation revealed that rather than utilizing a standardized database system, the testing was conducted through 1-to-1 verification—a process that prolonged separations.

Recognizing the need for a more effective approach, we set out to explore a DNA database strategy designed to accelerate family reunifications. Our vision is to establish a global framework that improves reunification efforts worldwide.

What are the ethical risks of using DNA data in reunification practices?

DNA data holds highly sensitive and personal information about children and families. If we are to use it for humanitarian purposes—such as reuniting families or identifying deceased loved ones—we must ensure that it is safeguarded against misuse, such as deportation or the prosecution of minor offenses.

One way to protect DNA data is by working through civil organizations, nonprofits and NGOs in partnership with international bodies like the International Commission on Missing Persons and the International Committee of the Red Cross. These collaborations can help shield genetic data from government subpoenas and other forms of state intervention.

Tell us more about your ongoing work in Ukraine.  How did this piece of the project begin and what have you learned so far?

Nearly 20,000 children have been taken from Ukraine into Russia during the war, tragically separated from their families and communities. Yet there is no global strategy in place to collect and store DNA from their families. Without such a system, there is no reliable way to ensure that these children can be quickly reunited with their loved ones if they are rescued or find a way to return from Russia.

To begin addressing this issue, we travelled to Poland, the country hosting the largest number of Ukrainian refugees. Our goal was to connect with organizations and advocates working directly with displaced families to understand the roadblocks they face.

Two key insights emerged from our work. First, families from Ukraine are deeply afraid to communicate with advocacy groups, the government or researchers, making outreach a slow and difficult process. Second, Europe lacks a strong infrastructure for addressing missing persons cases. These challenges underscore the urgent need for a coordinated international effort to reunite displaced children with their families.

Looking ahead, how do you hope to expand Global FamDNA’s work?

We don’t know when the next conflict will happen or where it will be. But when there is another event of mass deportation or mass separations, we need a better system than what’s in place now. Understanding the barriers to accomplishing this is the first step. We imagine that the structures that we are hoping to establish on a global level will be beneficial for future separations in the United States or elsewhere around the globe.

Currently, our Global FamDNA team is comprised of experts in genetics, ethics, medicine, psychology, political communication and ethnography. Working with a cadre of excellent scholars and thought leaders across disciplines is vital, so we’re hoping to expand this working group to include scholars with expertise in Russia or Ukraine, conflict resolution and legal scholarship. We’re excited to see how this project can grow in the future.