Ixchel De La Luz-Martínez
Expert Witness in Forensic Genetics and Laboratory Medicine
Mexico
Specialist in Patient Safety, Diagnostic Error Prevention and Preanalytical Quality
Ixchel De La Luz-Martínez is an official court-appointed expert witness in Forensic Genetics and Laboratory Medicine, with nearly two decades of experience connecting scientific evidence, judicial evaluation, laboratory quality, and patient safety. Since 2009, she has provided expert testimony in civil and family law proceedings in Mexico, integrating child protection, human rights, gender-perspective frameworks, vulnerable population protocols, and assisted reproductive technologies. Her work brings a distinctive interdisciplinary perspective to Malpractice 2026, particularly in relation to diagnostic error prevention, preanalytical quality, newborn screening, forensic expert evaluation, and the reduction of laboratory-related risks in healthcare.
Biography
Ixchel De La Luz-Martínez is an official court-appointed expert witness in Forensic Genetics and Laboratory Medicine, with nearly two decades of experience bridging scientific rigor, judicial frameworks, and patient safety. Since 2009, she has provided expert testimony for Mexico’s Federal Judicial Administration Body and the Superior Court of Justice of Morelos State in civil and family law proceedings.
Her expert practice integrates forensic genetics, laboratory medicine, child protection, human rights, gender-perspective frameworks, and protocols for vulnerable populations. Her work also includes areas connected with assisted reproductive technologies, where scientific accuracy, identity, documentation, and legal responsibility are especially important.
As Founder and Scientific Director of DETamiz and identidADN, Ixchel specializes in diagnostic error prevention, preanalytical quality, newborn screening, and laboratory risk reduction. She is a ratified Expert for the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, an International Key Opinion Leader for Becton Dickinson de México, and a member of the African Federation of Clinical Chemistry Newborn Screening Committee.
Her work in technovigilance and error reduction in public newborn screening programs earned her the American Association of Clinical Chemistry, now ADLM, Management Sciences and Patient Safety Division Abstract Award in Patient Safety in 2020.
Ixchel served as President of the Latin American Society for Forensic Genetics from 2021 to 2024, where she led the development of its regional Preanalytical Accreditation program. In 2026, she served as Ambassador and Advisory Board member for the 24th International Association of Forensic Sciences Triennial Congress, standing out as the sole Latin American female voice among 42 global experts.
By combining forensic expert evaluation with laboratory quality, preanalytical control, newborn screening, and patient safety, Ixchel De La Luz-Martínez brings an important international perspective to Malpractice 2026. Her work is especially relevant to discussions on how laboratory processes, diagnostic systems, documentation, expert testimony, and quality assurance can help prevent medical error and strengthen medico-legal evaluation.