Paula is a professional genealogist, researching over two decades in primarily southern US states. She has been using DNA to solve problems for more than a decade. She has studied at IGHR, SLIG, GRIP, and the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed). She is a board member of the Virginia Genealogical Society and of the Genealogical Research Institute of Virginia (GRIVA), and the facilitator for the latter's DNA Special Interest Group. She serves as an administrator for Blaine Bettinger’s “Genetic Genealogy Tips & Techniques” group on Facebook, helping to answer people’s questions about DNA testing and analysis tools.