Greg Hampikian

Professor, Biology and Criminal Justice
Boise State University

Science Building 215
greghampikian@boisestate.edu
(208) 426-4992

Education

Postdoctoral Associate, Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology, 1992
National Science Foundation International Centers of Excellence Postdoctoral Award, 1990-91 with Jennifer Graves, La Trobe University, Australia
Ph.D., University of Connecticut, Genetics, 1990
M.S., University of Connecticut, Genetics, 1986
B.S., University of Connecticut, Biology, 1982

Research Interests

Viruses, Bioinformatics, Cancer, Forensics

Opportunities for Students

Looking for a Bioinformaticist for paid project work, and co-sponsoring graduate students in CS and Data Science. Please Contact Greg for more information.

Current Projects

The lab is working on the dynamic relationship between viruses and mammals, including the consequences of having 14% of the human genome being made up of viral sequences. We also study the smallest absent sequences, which we call Nullomers, and how they can be used to make new vaccines. A broad question that covers many of our interests is, “How is novel information created through the incorporation of foreign elements?” This has broad ramifications for diverse information systems from the human genome to popular culture and the evolution of ideas.

Current Students

Lexi Bray

Lexi Bray is the MS student in Biology doing HIV, COVID-19, and vaccine development.

Janet Layne

Janet Layne is a Ph.D. student in CS with Edoardo Serra, who is funded through the Department of Justice working on Computational Bioinformatics and Wrongful Convictions in my lab.