20 March 2025
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DNA testing has revolutionised the world of family history, offering new ways to connect the dots and solve long-standing family mysteries. In this interview, genetic genealogist Laura House shares how she got started in DNA research, her passion for working on unknown parentage cases, and her top advice for anyone using DNA in their genealogy journey.
How did you first get into DNA?
I started researching my own family history in 2011, while I was doing my bachelor’s degree.
DNA testing was fairly new in the UK at that time, and I tested my relatives as soon as I realised it was becoming a useful resource for people with British and European heritage. I first tested my two surviving grandparents and my parents, and then my extended family.
Four years later, I began my postgrad in genealogical studies, and then I specialised in genetic genealogy.
What do you really enjoy about DNA?
I’ve worked on hundreds of unknown parentage cases, and every one is different.
Each case is as fascinating as the last, and there is no such thing as a boring set of DNA results. On top of this is the knowledge that the answer to the client’s question is somewhere in those results, if I just put the pieces together in the right way. There is nothing more exciting than that.
Laura will be speaking at this year's DNA Discoveries online event!
My DNA Matches and Me
Date & Time: 10 April, 6:30 PM
Speaker: Laura House
Details: How professional genetic genealogist Laura House uses DNA matches for her own family history research.
Tickets: Buy Individual Ticket - £12 | Buy Bundle
Can you recall a lightbulb moment when using DNA?
Hundreds! But the biggest moment was when I compared the DNA of my great-aunt to the DNA of my mother and her siblings and realised they had a half-relationship. That’s when I discovered my grandmother was conceived outside her parents’ marriage.
What’s your top tip you’d like to share for people using DNA for family history?
Education is so important. Everyone makes mistakes when they start researching their family, but the stakes are much higher with DNA. Take courses and workshops, read books, articles, and blogs, and apply everything you learn to your research.
Tell us about the DNA education activities you’re involved in
I’ve written many articles, and I always have a presentation, workshop, or public speaking gig on the go somewhere, many of which are recorded and can be found online. I’ve also just started a TikTok series on Ancestry’s channel called Epic Genetics with Laura. Check it out!
Tell us about any DNA projects or organisations that you’re involved with
I run the Weddige Y-DNA project at FamilyTreeDNA. ‘Weddige’ is my patrilineal surname, and it’s an unusual one, so if you know any Weddiges then I’d be grateful if you could send them my way!
Find out more about Laura’s specialisms at www.qualifiedgenealogists.org/profiles/house
