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.

SubscribeGet emails when new questions are answered. Ask Me Anything!Show Bio +

Share:

Ask me anything!

Submit Your Question

988 Questions

Share:

Last Answer on July 21, 2022

Best Rated

Is their a way to determine which vehicle hit which from the damage say 2 vehicles are stopped on the highway one backs in to the other then insists the back car rammed him. Marks on the road are nonexistent because of a blizzard

Asked by Gabr almost 8 years ago

Someone trained in accident reconstruction might be able to do so, but not having marks on the road makes it more difficult.

Do you have any advice on how to prepare for this job

Asked by Angel about 8 years ago

Take all the science courses you can, and visit and talk to forensic science personnel. You'll find them very approachable.

i asked a question and didnt even realize i forgot to put my teachers email so il just give you mine (derektclamon@gmail.com) thank you!

Asked by trace clamon about 8 years ago

Okay, I emailed you.

My father was declared dead of vagal inhibition and cardiac arrest.. I have read that vagsl inhibition often caused by throttling and strangulation. How important it is to expertly examine the hyoid bone so rule out foul play

Asked by Raja almost 8 years ago

I'm sorry to hear about your father. The hyoid would normally be observed during the course of an autopsy, but I have had pathologists tell me that people can be strangled without breaking the hyoid, and the hyoid can be broken due to other reasons,so it doesn't conclusively prove anything one way or the other.

I was wondering if the dna from different sources are the same, for example is the dna the exact same in sweat, hair, saliva etc? I ask because I once saw a movie where the criminals threw hair over a crime scene, ruining all the DNA?

Asked by Lisa Fan about 8 years ago

Your nuclear DNA is the same in the skin cells holding your hair in place, your saliva, your blood, your skin, your bone marrow etc. Your friend's DNA is of course different from yours, but the same in their saliva, their blood etc. The criminals probably threw someone else's hair around the crime scene so it wouldn't match them.

Okay, so I'm interested in forensic science but..1.)I'm not that great at chemistry and I'm worried that'll get in the way and 2.) My parents aren't sure how much they'd make annually and if it's a secure job..I just don't know if it's a good choice.

Asked by Drxl over 7 years ago

How much chemistry you need depends on what type of work you do. As long as you're not actually working in toxicology or DNA, you shouldn't need to be a great chemist as long as you can reliably work with chemicals and combine them properly (like following a recipe). And as long as you are a reliable and honest employee then the job is secure, once you get it, but I will be honest--there's a lot of competition in this field right now so getting into a position might be difficult. You should definitely have a back-up plan.

Do you ever get called to crime scenes to conduct your own investigation or is the evidence brought to you for analysis? Do most forensic scientists get to do both crime scene investigations and analysis? Thanks for your time.

Asked by Chicken over 7 years ago

I do both, but it depends entirely on your department. People at smaller departments usually have to cross train and fill several roles. At larger departments with more personnel, people may specialize. The only way to know is to call the agency you want to work at and ask.