Dr. Hampikian is a professor at Boise State University (BSU) 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. 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 has also pioneered the study of the shortest DNA sequences not found in nature, which he has named "nullomers." His 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.
Dr. 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 US, Ireland, the UK, Italy and France. His work has help in 10 exonerations (including Amanda Knox). In four of those exonerations, new DNA testing led to criminal database matches. Dr.Hampikian’s research and outreach activities have been covered by CNN, 20/20, Fox News, Good Morning America, Nightline, the BBC, the Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, Science, and New Scientist among others. His laboratory and legal research has been supported by the National Institute of Justice, the Department of Defense, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Science Foundation, and private donations.
Dr. Hampikian's book, Exit to Freedom, written with Calvin Johnson Jr., describes Mr. Johnson's 17-year struggle to gain his freedom. DNA evidence freed Mr. Johnson’s, proving that he did not commit the rape for which he was given a life sentence.
