LIsa Black
Cape Coral, FL
Female, 49
I spent the five happiest years of my life in a morgue. As a forensic scientist in the Cleveland coroner’s office I analyzed gunshot residue on hands and clothing, hairs, fibers, paint, glass, DNA, blood and many other forms of trace evidence, as well as crime scenes. Now I'm a certified latent print examiner and CSI for a police department in Florida. I also write a series of forensic suspense novels, turning the day job into fiction. My books have been translated into six languages.
Take all the science courses you can and visit labs that do the kind of services you’re interested in.
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Take as many science and then math courses as you can.
Best of luck!
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I'm sorry but I've never worked in toxicology.
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Good question. If the surface isn't disturbed and the temperature and humidity are cool and steady, I know fingerprints can last indefinitely, so I suppose skin cells would last as well.
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Special Education Teacher
Does it bother you when people use the R-word?
EMT
What was the most gruesome trauma you witnessed while on the job?
It all depends on where you want to work and what they require. At the coroner's office we all had at least a bachelor's degree in a natural science like biology, because there were not any forensic degrees then. If you want to be a DNA analyst you will probably need to major in genetics or biochemistry. At the police department where I work, with our very small lab, we are only required to have a high school diploma--but you get extra points in the interview process for advanced degrees so we all have at least a bachelor's.I don’t know how helpful medical technology would be because that is specifically geared toward a different profession.
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Bleach will also destroy DNA but of course that may damage items. Soap and water will do.
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That’s hard to say. It depends not only on how old the stain is but how old or how sensitive the reagents are. I’ve had old known semen stains not react with relatively new reagents so it is possible.
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