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

Best Rated

What is the worst part of your job? What is the best part? How do u cope with the stress of the job/the dead bodies etc?

Asked by Niamh almost 4 years ago

What is your favorite part of this job?All the interesting, different, bizarre stories that make up the crimes that have happened that we have to investigate. 



What is you least favorite part of the job?Being 'on call' and knowing you can be interrupted at any moment of the day and have to go to a crime scene, even if it's the middle of the night or a holiday. I've also had to change vacations because I have to testify in a trial. I hate that. 

Being around the dead is something you either get used to really quickly or you don't. The dead will not bother you, but the living can drive you crazy! And stress depends where you work. I have a great office and a relatively low-crime area, so unless we have a lot all happen at once, which is not too often, it's really not that stressful. If I lived in a more hectic place with too many demands and not enough time or resources, it might be a different story.



I have my first interview out of college for a forensic chemist position. Do you have any tips for a first timer? Are there any questions I should really prepare for?

Asked by MIKE almost 4 years ago

Wow, best of luck!! I would suggest you Google the heck out of the facility and find out everything you can about what they do—if it’s a state lab, what kind of evidence they accept from the state agencies. They probably test for illegal drugs, but are they testing the actual drugs seized, or bodily fluids from arrested people, or blood/urine/gastric samples from medical examiners or coroners offices—or all three. If you can’t find the information then that’s a good and reasonable question to ask. They’re sure to ask you what kind of instrumentation you’ve worked with, in class or in an internship, etc.—GC Mass Spec, IR, etc., how much experience and what kind of samples you tested. PS If it’s not posted you might want to ask about hours and/or overtime. They might be 9-5 M-F or they might be 24/7, depending on the size and location.

Best of luck!!

Was this election stolen from Trump?

Asked by asdfasdf about 4 years ago

What does that have to do with forensics?

What's the best way to highlight and uncover gloveprints left by Nitrile gloves from a surface?

Asked by Richard over 4 years ago

Usually simple black powder will show gloveprints as well as fingerprints. The bubbly sort of pattern they make will be visible.

Do you think if someone had all the training and experience plus is post certified do you think they would have a better or the same chance at getting a job a civilian can get? As well about advancements? I guess it could be like anything else the more the better. Right?

Asked by Terry over 4 years ago

I'm not sure what you mean by post certified?

Question regarding site not this sorry, but after you answer a question are you able to go back and edit it or even delete it afterword's

Asked by Sarah over 4 years ago

Yes.

Also, is it possible to specifically detect that the DNA is from saliva and nothing else?

Asked by AJ about 4 years ago

I don't believe so, but I haven't done DNA analysis in 20 years so I'm not the best person to ask. I know there's an amylase test for saliva, but I don't know if it's used any more. And if you have a mixture I doubt it would be possible to tell what DNA is from what bodily fluid.