Forensic Scientist

Forensic Scientist

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.

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Last Answer on July 21, 2022

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I'm a forensic chem major and I'm really struggling in my chem courses. When I took forensics in high school, I was incredible in lab. What advice do you have for me? Do you believe I'll be unsuccessful in this field because I'm not good in chemistry

Asked by AmandaM over 7 years ago

I’m sure it depends on what you want to do (lab work or field work) and what’s required. You would be better off talking to your local forensic lab to see what kind of things they do. Most likely the daily work of a forensic lab does not really involve exquisite chemistry. For my part, I was an ace in general chemistry but I never really ‘got’ organic chemistry. Best of luck!

If someone takes their own life by hanging is it common for it to be a double knot?

Asked by Kim over 7 years ago

There’s a wide variety of knots as people tend to use whatever they think will work.

I hope that helps.

sorry I also have another question, Should I continue with graduate school in the same forensic field or should I expand?
Thank you!

Asked by Kimmi almost 7 years ago

That depends entirely on what in the field of forensic science you want to do. The best way is to call some of the places you’d like to work as ask what their requirements would be, because they can vary all over the country. Smaller labs will want you to cross train.Larger ones might want you to specialize.

Good luck!!

Hi I am from butler high school and I am doing a project on forensic science and I was wondering if you had the time if I could do an interview with you if so could you contact me at7047710865

Asked by Stephen Roesly over 7 years ago

Sure, email me at lisa-black@live.com.

Recently, one of my daughter's friends was dosed with Visine eye drops presumed to be in her drink. Malicious activity? A date rape attempt? Is there a way to test for Visine in a drink, or in food?

Asked by Bill over 7 years ago

The perpetrator could be imitating a scene from the movie “Wedding Crashers” in which they put Visine in a man’s drink to give him diarrhea and vomiting. However Google tells me that’s not what it actually does, it can cause drowsiness and can be dangerous. So the motivation depends on whether the perpetrator knew what the actual effects would be or not.

As far as detecting it, it’s apparently in the imidazole family which includes histidines, so perhaps a chemical lab could detect it or some compenents of it. That would utilize thin layer chromatography and I don’t know how many labs actually do that any more—but I truly have no idea where or how or if a lab could test for it since I don’t have much of a background in chemistry, sorry!

Hope that helps.

Is there any way I could ask you a couple questions for a project? By phone?

Asked by Allison over 7 years ago

Please send me an email at lisa-black@live.com.

An author recently solved the question, 'Did Van Gogh cut off his entire ear, or just the lobe(?).' She found his physician's drawing and it shows the entire ear cut off. Can someone really do that? More likely sliced off by Gaughan's fencing sword?

Asked by PT O'Neil about 7 years ago

As far as I know it’s certainly possible to cut the entire ear off, but I would guess it would be difficult to do accidentally or in the heat of battle without causing other injuries to the face. But that’s entirely a guess on my part. I don’t know more than the basics about either Van Gogh or Gaughan or the incident. Sorry I can’t be more help!