As a child, Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Wafa AlTayari dreamed of working for the police and that dream persisted into adulthood. After earning a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology, she joined the Abu Dhabi Police (ADP), where she achieves her dream of the serving with the police while also utilizing her educational knowledge in a forensic laboratory. 

As the team leader for the agency’s validation process in LIMS system, Dr. AlTayari designed and implemented the system and managed the electronic transformation. Additionally, as the team leader for Six Sigma, she improved system processes, increasing efficiency and leading to time and cost savings for ADP. Her work contributed to a quality DNA test unit that became the first accredited laboratory in the region.  

Dr. AlTayari has been a role model in innovation within UAE and accordingly she has been acknowledged by IFIA in 2022 as worldwide inventor. Her PhD work explored using artificial intelligence for better DNA result presentation, and she has voluntary designed and delivered several workshops and trainings in the field of Y-DNA profiling and DNA mixture calculation that are now being taught at the university. 

Despite being one of the youngest forensic DNA experts in the region. Dr. AlTayari has already drawn accolades for her work—she was awarded Minister of Interior’s Excellence Ideal Specialist Employee in 2018 and ADP Commander-in-Chief’s Excellence Ideal innovative employee in 2019. Dr. AlTayari is also one of the founders of the Forensic DNA Testing Unit at the Forensic Evidence Department (FED) in ADP.  

“I love being challenged and doing non-routine work, and the police is the perfect place for that.”