Pathology with Dr. Priya | A Zone 7 Series: When Families Deserve More

For Dr. Priya, the autopsy is just the beginning. What happens next can change everything for the families left behind. In this episode, Dr. Priya Banerjee joins Sheryl McCollum, to examine a side of autopsies that rarely makes headlines: the profound responsibility of communicating with families. Dr. Priya reflects on the power of empathy in the autopsy suite, the deep importance of walking families through trauma with care, and the surprising ways postmortem findings can protect the living. She shares raw personal experiences—from the loss of her own parents to advocating for grieving families left behind during COVID—and the critical role of cultural awareness, front-line staff, and honest conversations. Listeners will also learn how autopsies sometimes uncover hereditary conditions that can lead to lifesaving interventions for surviving loved ones. This is forensic pathology not just as a science, but as a service.   Highlights: (0:00) The emotional weight of entering the medical examiner’s office (1:30) Debunking the ‘grim reaper’ myth of pathology (3:00) Personal loss and professional insight: How Dr. Priya’s grief reshaped her work (5:45) The unsung heroes of the ME office—investigators and admin staff (6:45) Why Dr. Priya insists on calling families directly (9:00) Launching a private autopsy service in response to COVID-era needs (13:00) Managing expectations: What autopsies reveal and what they can’t (15:00) Working with families and finding closure (16:30) Cultural and religious barriers to autopsy (24:00) Why refusing an autopsy can hurt future legal or health outcomes (27:00) The hidden legacy of genetic disease (30:00) Dr. Priya’s pet and power of early intervention   About the Hosts Dr. Priya Banerjee is a board-certified forensic pathologist with extensive experience in death investigation, clinical forensics, and courtroom testimony. A graduate of Johns Hopkins, she served for over a decade as Rhode Island’s state medical examiner and now runs a private forensic pathology practice. Her work includes military deaths, NSA cases, and high-profile investigations. Dr. Priya has also been featured as a forensic expert on platforms such as CrimeOnline and Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. She is a dedicated educator, animal lover, and proud mom. Website: anchorforensicpathology.comTwitter/X: @Autopsy_MD Sheryl McCollum is an Emmy Award–winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnline, and the Forensic and Crime Scene Expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. She works as a CSI for a metro Atlanta Police Department and is the co-author of the textbook Cold Case: Pathways to Justice. Sheryl is also the founder and director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute (CCIRI), a nationally recognized nonprofit that brings together universities, law enforcement, and experts to help solve unsolved homicides, missing persons cases, and kidnappings. Email: [email protected]/X: @ColdCaseTipsFacebook: @sheryl.mccollumInstagram: @officialzone7podcast   📣 If this episode gave you a new understanding of the human side of forensic science, follow the show, share it with someone who needs to hear it, and leave us a review.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.