Gwen Teppett, Forensic Biologist
Gwen has been a Forensic Scientist for 18 years and loves the variety of her role.
"As with most forensic biologists I'm a jack of all trades/ ‘multidiscipline' scientist. We deal with detection and analysis of body fluids, blood pattern analysis, the interpretation of hairs and fibres and the interpretation of DNA analysis.
"At crime scenes, we may be called upon to interpret blood patterns, detect semen stains, or generally assist in the identification and collection of pertinent evidence, particularly in the case of a suspicious death. Ultimately, the construction and presentation of a case report for court brings our work to a conclusion.
"Once given the raw details of a case, it is very satisfying to see evidence, corroborative or otherwise, unfold before you with each step of analysis. The cases vary widely in their complexity and analysis requirements, so each is a new challenge.
"I have seen many changes to the discipline over my 18 years as a Forensic Scientist, and as technology has developed, so has the time we spend in front of computer screens and in chairs.
"I have enjoyed my court experiences over the years. From my early days of presenting relatively straight forward blood grouping results through the evolution of DNA evidence to how it stands today - never a dull moment!