Cincinnati, OH — Karen B. Looman, DO, is being recognized by Continental Who’s Who as a Trusted Coroner and Forensic Pathologist for her outstanding work in the field of Pathology and for her professional excellence at the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office.
Dr. Looman is a board-certified Forensic Pathologist and is the Chief Deputy Coroner at Hamilton County Coroner’s Office in Cincinnati, OH. She investigates cases where the sudden and unexpected nature of the death has raised doubts about the cause and manner of death. In her line of work, she focuses on determining the cause and manner of death by examining the corpse, investigating the scene, reading law enforcement reports and reviewing medical records. She has been in the field for twenty years, and at the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office for eleven years.
She is mainly involved with the legal side of Forensic Pathology, determining the cause and manner of death in homicides, suicides, and accidents. She signs death certificates of those who do not have doctors. Dr. Looman performs autopsies on babies who die under the age of two, and people who have perished under sudden or suspicious circumstances. Other aspects of her job include examining human bones. A crucial part of her work is testifying in court about many of her cases. This is critical for legal reasons, but she also likes to bring families and survivors a sense of peace by knowing how their loved ones died.
Dr. Looman has testified in numerous cases, with one of the most high-profile cases being the fatal shooting of Sam DuBose, an unarmed Black man, by police officer Ray Tensing in 2015. She showed graphic photos, a bullet fragment, autopsy notations, and other evidence to the court, testifying that DuBose was shot in the head and died instantly by homicide.
To prepare for her career in Forensics, she first attended Hope College in Holland, Michigan where she graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Chemistry. Seeking further education, she then obtained her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, Missouri in 1998. She then served four years in the United States Navy, working as a General Medical Officer, achieving the rank of Lieutenant. She then went on to complete a residency in Anatomic Pathology at the Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia in 2006, and a forensic Fellowship at the Tidewater Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in 2008. She is board-certified in Anatomic Pathology and Forensics.
Dr. Looman stays abreast of new developments in the field by maintaining associations with the National Association of Medical Examiners, the College of Anatomic Pathology, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Science.
Dr. Looman would like to dedicate this honorable recognition to Leah Bush, MD; Wendy Gunther, MD; and Elizabeth Kinnison, MD; who were all mentors during her training in Virginia.