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Top Forensic DNA Expert Dr. Greg Hampikian to Speak at Armenian
Medical World Congress
http://asbarez.com/109194/top-forensic-dna-expert-dr-greg-hampikian-to-speak-at-armenian-medical-world-congress/
Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013
Dr. Greg Hampikian
LOS ANGELES - DNA, also known as Deoxyribonucleic Acid, contains
specific genetic information that distinguishes one human being from
another. Since the late 1980's, scientists have analyzed samples of
bodily fluids or tissue to create DNA profiles that have ultimately
led to criminal convictions, as well as exonerating the innocent.
In the recent high profile Italian court case, college students Amanda
Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were convicted of murder based on two
pieces of DNA evidence. Upon appeal, Greg Hampikian, Ph.D., Professor
of Biology and Criminal Justice at Boise State University (BSU) and
forensic DNA expert, reanalyzed the DNA evidence and concluded it was
likely contaminated and unreliable. Amanda and Raffaele are now free
in part because of Dr. Hampikian's work.
Dr. Hampikian will be speaking on `Amanda Knox: From DNA Error to DNA
Exoneration,' at the 11th Armenian Medical World Congress in July in
Los Angeles. `As our instruments get more and more sensitive, we need
to be ever more careful about contamination,' states Dr. Hampikian.
`In Amanda's case we were able to show that the DNA evidence against
her was unreliable, but it leaves you wondering how many other cases
of DNA false-convictions there are.'
As founder and Director of the Idaho Innocence Project at BSU, Dr.
Hampikian works with police agencies and defense lawyers in court
cases involving DNA evidence. He has also helped establish the
Georgia Innocence Project, the Irish Innocence Project, and the
Innocence Project France. The Idaho Innocence Project is part of an
international legal network that investigates wrongful conviction
claims, helping to free those who are falsely imprisoned, and often
indentifying the true perpetrators. His work has led to 13
exonerations, and he has been involved in hundreds of cases.
Dr. Hampikian's research work has been published in leading scientific
journals, major newspapers and magazines, as well as covered by major
television networks from CNN to the BBC. Most recently, he published
a review of 194 DNA exonerations in the prestigious Annual Review of
Genetics and Genomics, and is publishing the account of how he and the
French Police solved a high-profile decade-old murder by using
familial DNA for the first time in Europe. Additionally, he
co-authored the book `Exit to Freedom' with Calvin Johnson, Jr., a man
who after 17 years in prison gained his freedom from a life sentence
after DNA evidence proved his innocence. Dr. Hampikian is also an
award-winning playwright, and is currently working on a musical about
the Armenian Diaspora.
In 2013, Dr. Hampikian was inducted as a Charter Fellow of the
National Academy of Inventors, and his DNA research covers a wide
range of topics including pioneering work on the smallest sequences
absent from nature that he has termed `Nullomers.' Using these
Nullomers, Dr. Hampikian has invented a method of tagging DNA samples
to prevent contamination of forensic evidence. His other inventions
include 198 drugs made from Nullomer peptides that are effective
against cancer and other diseases.
`Understanding and unlocking the powerful information contained in our
genes is transforming science and medicine today,' says Vicken
Sepilian, MD, FACOG, President of the Armenian American Medical
Society and Chairman of the 11th Armenian Medical World Congress. `We
are honored to have world renowned genetic scientist and pioneer, Dr.
Greg Hampikian joining us at the 11th Armenian Medical World Congress
where he will discuss cutting edge technologies that have allowed
wrongfully convicted human beings gain back their freedom.'
For more information and to register for the 11th Armenian Medical
World Congress, please visit our website at www.aamsc.com/congress.
From: A. Papazian
Medical World Congress
http://asbarez.com/109194/top-forensic-dna-expert-dr-greg-hampikian-to-speak-at-armenian-medical-world-congress/
Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013
Dr. Greg Hampikian
LOS ANGELES - DNA, also known as Deoxyribonucleic Acid, contains
specific genetic information that distinguishes one human being from
another. Since the late 1980's, scientists have analyzed samples of
bodily fluids or tissue to create DNA profiles that have ultimately
led to criminal convictions, as well as exonerating the innocent.
In the recent high profile Italian court case, college students Amanda
Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were convicted of murder based on two
pieces of DNA evidence. Upon appeal, Greg Hampikian, Ph.D., Professor
of Biology and Criminal Justice at Boise State University (BSU) and
forensic DNA expert, reanalyzed the DNA evidence and concluded it was
likely contaminated and unreliable. Amanda and Raffaele are now free
in part because of Dr. Hampikian's work.
Dr. Hampikian will be speaking on `Amanda Knox: From DNA Error to DNA
Exoneration,' at the 11th Armenian Medical World Congress in July in
Los Angeles. `As our instruments get more and more sensitive, we need
to be ever more careful about contamination,' states Dr. Hampikian.
`In Amanda's case we were able to show that the DNA evidence against
her was unreliable, but it leaves you wondering how many other cases
of DNA false-convictions there are.'
As founder and Director of the Idaho Innocence Project at BSU, Dr.
Hampikian works with police agencies and defense lawyers in court
cases involving DNA evidence. He has also helped establish the
Georgia Innocence Project, the Irish Innocence Project, and the
Innocence Project France. The Idaho Innocence Project is part of an
international legal network that investigates wrongful conviction
claims, helping to free those who are falsely imprisoned, and often
indentifying the true perpetrators. His work has led to 13
exonerations, and he has been involved in hundreds of cases.
Dr. Hampikian's research work has been published in leading scientific
journals, major newspapers and magazines, as well as covered by major
television networks from CNN to the BBC. Most recently, he published
a review of 194 DNA exonerations in the prestigious Annual Review of
Genetics and Genomics, and is publishing the account of how he and the
French Police solved a high-profile decade-old murder by using
familial DNA for the first time in Europe. Additionally, he
co-authored the book `Exit to Freedom' with Calvin Johnson, Jr., a man
who after 17 years in prison gained his freedom from a life sentence
after DNA evidence proved his innocence. Dr. Hampikian is also an
award-winning playwright, and is currently working on a musical about
the Armenian Diaspora.
In 2013, Dr. Hampikian was inducted as a Charter Fellow of the
National Academy of Inventors, and his DNA research covers a wide
range of topics including pioneering work on the smallest sequences
absent from nature that he has termed `Nullomers.' Using these
Nullomers, Dr. Hampikian has invented a method of tagging DNA samples
to prevent contamination of forensic evidence. His other inventions
include 198 drugs made from Nullomer peptides that are effective
against cancer and other diseases.
`Understanding and unlocking the powerful information contained in our
genes is transforming science and medicine today,' says Vicken
Sepilian, MD, FACOG, President of the Armenian American Medical
Society and Chairman of the 11th Armenian Medical World Congress. `We
are honored to have world renowned genetic scientist and pioneer, Dr.
Greg Hampikian joining us at the 11th Armenian Medical World Congress
where he will discuss cutting edge technologies that have allowed
wrongfully convicted human beings gain back their freedom.'
For more information and to register for the 11th Armenian Medical
World Congress, please visit our website at www.aamsc.com/congress.
From: A. Papazian