4

Absolutely devoted to her job due to her strong personality, determination and intelligence. She is a half-Greek, half-Italian orphan, who grew up moving throughout foster homes. She is very close to Mac, since they co-head the lab, and constantly worries about his physical and mental well-being. In episode 221 ("All Access"), Stella was held captive in her own home by her unstable boyfriend, Frankie Mala, and was forced to kill him. Because of her close relationship with Mac, she was mistakenly thought to be Mac's late wife, Claire, by Reed Garrett, a child that Claire had given birth to and put up for adoption before she had met Mac. In a season three episode Stella comes in contact with HIV positive blood. After waiting several months for the test results, Stella discovers she is HIV negative using a viral PCR test administered by Adam Ross in the CSI New York lab. The show used Stella's possible HIV infection as part of a public service campaign on CBS, but there were scientific discrepancies in the storyline. Using a traditional HIV antibody test might take 1–6 months to confirm infection, but the more advanced PCR test detects the actual presence of the virus in blood and can be administered within a week of exposure to look for signs of seroconversion. This apparently was ignored, along with the dubious ethical and professional concept of being tested for HIV in a workplace lab without the pre- and post-testing counseling and informed consent forms required by New York state law.