Greg Hampikian is an American biologist and the founder and director of the
Idaho Innocence Project. He is considered one of the foremost forensic DNA experts in the United States.
Hampikian assisted in the establishment of various forensic evidence projects such as the Georgia Innocence Project, the Irish Innocence Project, and the Innocence Project France. He is currently a professor in the Departments of Biological Sciences and Criminal Justice at
Boise State University
Boise State University (BSU) is a Public university, public research university in Boise, Idaho. Founded in 1932 by the Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal Church, it became an independent junior college in 1934 and has been awarding ...
. Hampikian is a DNA Expert on the Georgia Innocence Project Board. Hampikian is a New York Times contributing columnist whose two most popular contributions to date have been "Men, Who Needs Them" and "When May I Shoot a Student". Hampikian has published in numerous scholarly scientific journals, including Nature and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Hampikian was inducted as a Charter Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. His inventions range from a magnetic shape memory alloy micro-pump to a forensic DNA labeling kit that prevents contamination of samples given to the police. Hampikian pioneered the study of DNA and protein sequences absent from nature and coined the term
Nullomers. Hampikian lectures on DNA science generally as well as DNA in forensic evidence specifically nationwide.
Hampikian is noted for his work on several exonerations both nationally and internationally including his work on the
Amanda Knox
Amanda Marie Knox (born July 9, 1987) is an American author, activist, and journalist. She spent almost four years in an Italian prison following her wrongful conviction for the 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher, a fellow exchange student with ...
case.
Life and work
Hampikian received a master's degree and a PhD from the University of Connecticut in 1986 and 1990, respectively. He has worked with many attorneys on cases which involved DNA forensics investigation.
He established the Idaho Innocence Project which analyzes wrongful conviction claims and assists those who have been falsely charged.
Hampikian is a contributor to scientific journals, newspapers and magazines; including a farcical look at the issue of allowing concealed weapons on college campuses.
He has been featured on television numerous times in news networks such as CNN and BBC. He is also the co-author of the "Exit to Freedom" which documents the life of Calvin C. Johnson Jr., who was wrongfully convicted and spent seventeen years in prison.
Hampikian is also an amateur folk singer and songwriter.
Amanda Knox
During the high-profile case of
Amanda Knox
Amanda Marie Knox (born July 9, 1987) is an American author, activist, and journalist. She spent almost four years in an Italian prison following her wrongful conviction for the 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher, a fellow exchange student with ...
, on May 23, 2011, Hampikian announced that, based on its independent investigation and review, DNA samples taken at the crime scene all pointed to African drifter Rudy Guede and excluded Knox and Sollecito.
[Sewell, Cynthia. "Boise expert: DNA shows Amanda Knox isn’t guilty", ''Idaho Statesman'', 27 May 2011.] Upon reexamination of the DNA, he concluded that the evidence is unreliable and contaminated.
Hampikian's findings are one of the main reasons that Knox and Sollecito were set free.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hampikian, Greg
American forensic scientists
Armenian biologists
Boise State University faculty
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
American people of Armenian descent
University of Connecticut alumni
Wrongful conviction advocacy