Stephen J. Lu

Previous Employers

• University of Arizona
• National Institutes of Health
• California Department of Justice
• Arizona Department of Public Safety
• FIU Global Forensic and Justice Center (Formerly National Forensic Science Technology Center)
• San Diego County Sheriff's Department (Retired)

Volunteer Work

Community Member — Patient and Family Advisory Council at UC San Diego Health (2023-Present)

Endowment Committee Member — California Association of Criminalists (2023-Present)

Council Member — San Diego County Sheriff's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council (2022-2024)

Executive Director — A Lasting Strength (2021-2024)

Regional Director South — California Association of Criminalists (2019-2020)

Web Development Team Lead — California Association of Criminalists (2018-2021)

Forensic Experience

• Forensic Biology
• Forensic Firearms Analysis
• Crime Scene Investigation
• Bloodstain Pattern Analysis
• Trajectory Analysis
• Crime Scene and Shooting Incident Reconstruction

Testimony Experience

Qualified Subjects

• Forensic Biology
• Forensic Firearms Analysis
• Crime Scene Investigation and Reconstruction

Levels of Court

• State: Arizona and California
• Federal: U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Research Experience

Protease Regulation in the Yellow Fever Mosquito, Aedes aegypti — Dr. Michael A. Wells, University of Arizona, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics

Neutral Lipid Trafficking in Niemann-Pick Type C Disease — Dr. E. Joan Blanchette-Mackie, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Publications

Lu, Stephen J., James E. Pennington, April R. Stonehouse, Meta M. Mobula, and Michael A. Wells. "Reevaluation of the Role of Early Trypsin Activity in the Transcriptional Activation of the Late Trypsin Gene in the Mosquito Aedes Aegypti." Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 36, no. 4 (2006): 336-343.

Lu, Stephen J. "The Cultural Context of Forensic Laboratories in California." The CACNews, Summer 2023, August 29, 2023.

Lu, Stephen J. and Olivia A. Mendoza. "On a Mission to Improve Leadership in Forensics" Catalyst Magazine (Tucson, AZ), December 18, 2023.

Lu, Stephen J. 2024. CSI to CEO: What the Dead Can Teach Us About Life and Leadership. Edited by Eve Porinchak. 1st ed. San Diego: Independent.

Education and Certifications

Executive Master of Business Administration with Honors — Business Administration and Management
Quantic School of Business and Technology: July 2023

Bachelor of Science with Honors — Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and Molecular and Cellular Biology
University of Arizona. Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude: May 2005

Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP)

2023 FBI San Diego Citizens' Academy

Professional Affiliations

• Phi Beta Kappa
• California Association of Criminalists
• International Association for Identification
• Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners
• FBI San Diego Citizens Academy Alumni Association
• Hearing Loss Association of America
• The Authors Guild
• The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers
• Public Safety Peer Support Association
• Society for Human Resource Management

Languages

• U.S. English — Native Proficiency
• American Sign Language (ASL), French, Mandarin — Intermediate Proficiency

Throughout his forensic career, Stephen has analyzed over a thousand cases and participated in hundreds of death investigations, including homicides, suicides, officer-involved shootings, autopsies, and custodial deaths. Most recently, he served for ten years as a Criminalist with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, specializing in Forensic Biology, Forensic Firearms Analysis, and Crime Scene Investigation and Reconstruction.

Stephen also spent six years as a contract assessor and trainer with the National Forensic Science Technology Center (now FIU Global Forensic and Justice Center), where he performed DNA laboratory audits and taught courses on DNA amplification, likelihood ratios, and population statistics. Prior to that, Stephen worked with the Arizona Department of Public Safety, performing casework in Forensic Biology, and the California Department of Justice’s Richmond DNA Lab, where he contributed to the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).

Over his career, Stephen has completed more than 2,000 hours of professional training in areas such as Forensic Biology, Forensic Firearms Analysis, Trajectory Analysis, Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, and courtroom testimony. He has testified as an expert witness in superior courts in Arizona and California, and in federal court for the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Stephen's courtroom experience has been noted for his ability to explain complex scientific concepts in an understandable and engaging way for juries and attorneys alike.

In addition to his forensic science work, Stephen served as the Regional Director South for the California Association of Criminalists (CAC), where he organized regional study groups and hosted presentations by experts, including a keynote address by Jeff Udvarhelyi, an Escondido Police Department Child Abuse Detective, on a significant child abuse case. As the Lead Webmaster for the CAC, he enhanced the organization’s public presence by overhauling its website for better communication and engagement.

Before his career in forensics, Stephen worked for six years as a published research scientist. Under Dr. Michael Wells at the University of Arizona, he studied protease regulation in the Yellow Fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. He also completed an internship at the National Institutes of Health/NIDDK, studying neutral lipid trafficking in Niemann-Pick Type C disease under Dr. E. Joan Blanchette-Mackie.

Stephen holds an Executive MBA with Honors from Quantic School of Business and Technology and a Bachelor of Science with Honors, magna cum laude, in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Arizona. Stephen is a Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP). In addition, he is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, an honor society recognizing exceptional academic achievements in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and mathematics.

Since retiring from active casework, Stephen has shifted his focus towards leadership development in forensic science. His interest in leadership and public education is reflected in his recent book, CSI to CEO, where he covers forensic science topics such as DNA analysis, crime scene investigation, bloodstain pattern analysis, and forensic leadership for a general audience. In 2023, Stephen had the honor of graduating from the FBI San Diego's Citizens Academy as a demonstration of his continued dedication to public service.

Stephen volunteers his time and resources to support and improve the lives of people living with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). He is a community member of UC San Diego Health's Patient and Family Advisory Council, working to unify patients, family, and team members to enhance the experience for everyone, evaluate strategies and improve quality and safety outcomes.

In his free time, Stephen enjoys reading and writing, web development, electronic music composition and production, and playing with Aries, a stubborn Siberian Husky.