CNN, the Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, Fox News, 20/20, Nightline, Good Morning America, Science, and New Scientist ,among others, have covered Hampikian’s research and outreach activities.
Forensic genetics expert Dr. Greg Hampikian will speak on “How DNA Evidence Freed Amanda Knox” at 6 p.m. Friday at Tutu’s House in Waimea. Hampikian’s Idaho DNA laboratory was part of the defense team that helped free Amanda Knox from prison in Italy.
Hampikian’s lab conducted experiments which cast doubt upon the evidence, and which formed the basis of the appeal, which eventually freed Knox and her boyfriend, Rafaelle Sollicito.
“The talk is designed for a lay audience, but participants should be aware that language and images such as those shown on television crime shows will be used,” said Tutu’s House program leader Lorraine Urbic.
There are no fees for Tutu’s House programs, but tax-deductible donations are always welcome. Please call 885-6777 to register to attend this presentation. Tutu’s House is a project of Friends of the Future, a Waimea-based nonprofit organization. Visit www.tutushouse.org.
Hampikian is a professor at Boise State University with a joint appointment in biology and criminal justice. He consults on court cases throughout the United States and Europe, and has held research and teaching positions at the Yale University Medical School, Emory University, La Trobe University in Australia, Clayton State University and the CDC.
“A very popular presenter, Dr. Hampikian is a frequent keynote speaker at national conferences, and also offers programs for schools, universities, professional and civic organizations,” said Urbic. “His laboratory at BSU is involved in a wide array of DNA projects in the areas of forensic biotechnology, mitochondrial population studies, drug development and bioinformatics.”
Hampikian is the founder and director of the Idaho Innocence Project at BSU, and he works with police agencies and defense lawyers on DNA cases throughout the U.S., Ireland, the UK, Italy and France. His work has helped in 10 exonerations, including Knox’s. In four of those exonerations, new DNA testing led to criminal database matches.
Hampikian’s work has been published in leading scientific journals such as Nature, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Science and Justice, and the American Journal of Physical Anthropology. He has offered DNA workshops and seminars at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, Harvard University and the Pasteur Institute.
CNN, the Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, Fox News, 20/20, Nightline, Good Morning America, Science, and New Scientist ,among others, have covered Hampikian’s research and outreach activities.