
Sophie Leaf’s favorite subject in high school was genetics. She was amazed that such a small thing like DNA could create our unique human characteristics. It inspired her to study biology as an undergraduate at the University of Minnesota Duluth, where she gained valuable research experience in a plant evolution lab.
After graduation, Leaf 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 says.
Not long after, Leaf decided to pursue a master’s degree to develop the knowledge and skills to help her advance to the role of DNA analyst. Ultimately, she chose the Master of Biological Sciences program through the University of Minnesota’s College of Continuing & Professional Studies because of its flexibility for working adults (students can attend part-time and have five years to complete their degree) and its wide variety of courses.
To complement her work in the lab, Leaf took advanced courses in genetics, genomics, and molecular biology. She also took courses in computational biology and bioinformatics that explore new technologies and how they can be applied to forensic science.
As an evidence processor, Leaf would take evidence collected from crime scenes and search for any bodily fluids or fingerprints and photograph them. This work generated the materials that 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, Leaf takes swabbings or cuttings from items of evidence and attempts to develop a DNA profile from them. “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,” says Leaf.
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.”
For example, Leaf says science doesn't tell investigators anything about how DNA came to be on an item. "Sure, this person's DNA profile may be on this item," says Leaf, "but I don't know if they actually were handling that item, or if they were around that item and were talking or sneezed. It’s up to the investigators to provide additional information and evidence to help a jury determine if a person is guilty or not."
Leaf says that 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.”
View the original version of this story, which includes Sophie Leaf’s advice for students in the MBS program and courses that she found memorable.
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