Sophie Leaf‘s favorite class in high school, hands down, was genetics. She was amazed that such a small thing like DNA could create our unique human characteristics. The class inspired her to study biology as an undergraduate at the University of Minnesota Duluth. There, she gained valuable research experience in a plant evolution lab, but she was still drawn to the fields of genetics and forensics.
The Path of a DNA Analyst
After graduation, Sophie found a job as an evidence processor in a forensics lab. “I thought it was really important to help people and our criminal justice system,” she recalls.
She decided to pursue a master’s degree in order to develop the knowledge and skills that could help her advance to the role of DNA analyst. She chose the Master of Biological Sciences because of its flexibility for working adults (students can attend part-time and have five years to complete their degree) and the variety of courses she could take.
To complement her work in the lab, Sophie took advanced courses in genetics, genomics, and molecular biology. She also focused on courses that explored new technologies and how they can be applied to forensic science, like computational biology and bioinformatics.
As an evidence processor, Sophie would take the evidence collected from crime scenes and process it for bodily fluids. She'd collect swabbings or cuttings from the items and search for any fingerprints and photograph them. This work generated the materials that the DNA analysts or latent print examiners could use to make comparisons.
Now, as a DNA analyst with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Science Lab, Sophie takes those swabbings or cuttings from items of evidence and attempts to develop a DNA profile from them. She says, “I'll extract any DNA from the items, quantify how much DNA is present, amplify the fragments, and generate a profile which I can then compare to suspects, victims, or anyone who may be relevant to the case.”
Following the Unbiased Science
There is, she notes, a general misconception about her role due to TV and movie crime dramas. “Nowadays, people assume that there's always going to be evidence that links to a suspect, and that's just not the case,” she says. “So, being able to go out and teach people about our work and help deliver an unbiased scientific opinion in cases—I really enjoy that and it feels meaningful.”
The science is what it is, she continues. It doesn't tell investigators anything about how that DNA got on an item. "Sure, this person's DNA profile may be on this item," Sophie says, "but I don't know if they actually were handling that item, or if they were around that item and were talking or sneezed, for example. I can't attest to that. It’s up to the investigators to provide additional information and evidence to help a jury determine if this person is guilty or not."
Making a difference—whether it's helping protect a community or making sure that the right person is held accountable—is incredibly important to her. She also enjoys that her job is constantly changing: “You're never going to see the same thing twice. It provides a good balance of routine work with challenging interpretations.”
Advice for Students
“For a new MBS student, it can be difficult coming into a master's program feeling like maybe you don't have all the skills or knowledge to be participating. You could be in classes with students who have been in the program for a couple of years already or who have a niche understanding of the research. But don't let that hold you back from participating and putting your voice forward, because that really is important. You help yourself and other students by asking questions instead of staying quiet because you're afraid of sounding uninformed.”
Memorable Courses
Bioinformatics classes with Dr. Chad Myers
“I really liked those courses. He's a computer scientist. He did a great job of bridging the gap between students who don't have that background and being able to apply it to biology.”
Advanced Molecular Genetics and Genomics with Dr. David Greenstein
“It was a discussion based course, and he required his students to understand the material and be able to explain the research in our own terms. I think he did a great job of interacting with the students and getting us to have a deeper understanding of the science.”
Mia Boos is a writer and content strategist with the College of Continuing and Professional Studies, covering the College’s graduate programs and undergraduate individualized degree programs. She joined the CCAPS Marketing team in 2014 and has worked for Thomson Reuters and New York University. Connect with her via LinkedIn.
