Michael L. Baird
Encyclopedia
Michael L. Baird is the Laboratory Director at DNA Diagnostics Center in Fairfield, Ohio. Considered a leader in DNA testing, Baird was appointed the DNA
expert in the highly publicized paternity
case of Dannielynn Hope Marshall Stern. On April 10, 2007, Baird announced the results of the paternity test, naming Larry Birkhead
as the biological father of Dannielynn. In January 2008, Dr. Baird was appointed Chair of the Relationship Testing Standards Program Unit of the AABB, in charge of rewriting the Standards for Relationship Testing Laboratories, 9th Edition and the Guidance Document.
He received his MA in Biology in 1973 from State University of New York
and his BA in Biology from Drew University
in 1971.
and paternity testing for over 25 years. He served as senior scientist, laboratory director, and vice president at Lifecodes Corporation. Following that, he worked at GeneScreen as senior director.
Since 2002, Baird has served as the laboratory director for DNA Diagnostics Center.
Baird has been a member of and chaired several professional societies, including the AABB (formerly the American Association of Blood Banks), the Human Identity Trade Association (HITA), and the College of American Pathologists (CAP).
Baird was the DNA
testing expert in the United States to testify in a US court. He has since testified more than 400 times in courts in the US and abroad. Most recently, he served as the DNA testing expert in the highly broadcasted paternity
case of Dannielynn Marshall Stern.
Professional Timeline
1978 – 1979: Postdoctoral fellow at The University of Michigan in the Department of Human Genetics, working on sickle cell anemia
1979 – 1982: Research Associate at Columbia University
in the Departments of Human Genetics and Medicine, working on the thalassemia
and discovered the first splice junction mutation in DNA resulting in thalassemia resulting in a publication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS. 1981. 78:4218-4221)
1981 – 1982: Visiting Scientist at University of Paris
for 2 months each year, helping set up cloning of DNA for the study of thalassemia
1981: Senior Scientist at Lifecodes Corporation at its inception, developing techniques for DNA testing for paternity
and forensics as well as databases used for calculations
1986: Laboratory Director at Lifecodes Corporation, performing the first DNA tests for paternity
and forensic analysis; became first to report results of DNA tests in paternity and forensics at the International Society of Forensic Hemogenetics meeting in Copenhagen
1987: First to testify in a criminal case using DNA testing; first conviction in a criminal case using DNA test results
1989: Member of the panel of the Office of Technology Assessment, a federal government organization, evaluating the use of DNA for identification in paternity and forensics
1990: Vice President of Laboratory Operation at Lifecodes Corporation
1991: Testimony to the National Academy of Sciences
panel investigating the use of DNA for identification
1993: Involvement in the development of DNA techniques for the determination of HLA
types for tissue transplantation
1994: Began testing samples for the National Marrow Donor Program
registry
1995: On-air consultant for NBC
during the OJ Simpson case
2002 – present: Laboratory Director at DNA Diagnostics Center
2006 – 2007: DNA testing expert, court-appointed in 2007, for paternity case of Dannielynn Hope Marshall Stern (daughter of Anna Nicole Smith
)
as a media consultant on the OJ Simpson case. He recently served as the DNA testing expert in the paternity
case that named Larry Birkhead
as the biological father of Anna Nicole Smith’s daughter, Dannielynn. Upon announcement of Birkhead’s paternity of Dannielynn, Baird was interviewed by national and local media personalities, including Larry King
, Nancy Grace
, and Greta Van Susteren
.
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
expert in the highly publicized paternity
Paternity (law)
In law, paternity is the legal acknowledgment of the parental relationship between a man and a child usually based on several factors.At common law, a child born to the wife during a marriage is the husband's child under the "presumption of legitimacy", and the husband is assigned complete rights,...
case of Dannielynn Hope Marshall Stern. On April 10, 2007, Baird announced the results of the paternity test, naming Larry Birkhead
Larry Birkhead
Larry E. Birkhead was a partner of Anna Nicole Smith and is the father of her daughter, Dannielynn. He was in a child custody battle for his daughter until DNA results proved his paternity.-Personal life:...
as the biological father of Dannielynn. In January 2008, Dr. Baird was appointed Chair of the Relationship Testing Standards Program Unit of the AABB, in charge of rewriting the Standards for Relationship Testing Laboratories, 9th Edition and the Guidance Document.
Education
Baird earned his PhD in Genetics from The University of Chicago in 1978.He received his MA in Biology in 1973 from State University of New York
State University of New York
The State University of New York, abbreviated SUNY , is a system of public institutions of higher education in New York, United States. It is the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States, with a total enrollment of 465,000 students, plus...
and his BA in Biology from Drew University
Drew University
Drew University is a private university located in Madison, New Jersey.Originally established as the Drew Theological Seminary in 1867, the university later expanded to include an undergraduate liberal arts college in 1928 and commenced a program of graduate studies in 1955...
in 1971.
Professional Experience
Baird has been in the fields of geneticsGenetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
and paternity testing for over 25 years. He served as senior scientist, laboratory director, and vice president at Lifecodes Corporation. Following that, he worked at GeneScreen as senior director.
Since 2002, Baird has served as the laboratory director for DNA Diagnostics Center.
Baird has been a member of and chaired several professional societies, including the AABB (formerly the American Association of Blood Banks), the Human Identity Trade Association (HITA), and the College of American Pathologists (CAP).
Baird was the DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
testing expert in the United States to testify in a US court. He has since testified more than 400 times in courts in the US and abroad. Most recently, he served as the DNA testing expert in the highly broadcasted paternity
Paternity (law)
In law, paternity is the legal acknowledgment of the parental relationship between a man and a child usually based on several factors.At common law, a child born to the wife during a marriage is the husband's child under the "presumption of legitimacy", and the husband is assigned complete rights,...
case of Dannielynn Marshall Stern.
Professional Timeline
1978 – 1979: Postdoctoral fellow at The University of Michigan in the Department of Human Genetics, working on sickle cell anemia
1979 – 1982: Research Associate at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in the Departments of Human Genetics and Medicine, working on the thalassemia
Thalassemia
Thalassemia is an inherited autosomal recessive blood disease that originated in the Mediterranean region. In thalassemia the genetic defect, which could be either mutation or deletion, results in reduced rate of synthesis or no synthesis of one of the globin chains that make up hemoglobin...
and discovered the first splice junction mutation in DNA resulting in thalassemia resulting in a publication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS. 1981. 78:4218-4221)
1981 – 1982: Visiting Scientist at University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
for 2 months each year, helping set up cloning of DNA for the study of thalassemia
Thalassemia
Thalassemia is an inherited autosomal recessive blood disease that originated in the Mediterranean region. In thalassemia the genetic defect, which could be either mutation or deletion, results in reduced rate of synthesis or no synthesis of one of the globin chains that make up hemoglobin...
1981: Senior Scientist at Lifecodes Corporation at its inception, developing techniques for DNA testing for paternity
Paternity (law)
In law, paternity is the legal acknowledgment of the parental relationship between a man and a child usually based on several factors.At common law, a child born to the wife during a marriage is the husband's child under the "presumption of legitimacy", and the husband is assigned complete rights,...
and forensics as well as databases used for calculations
1986: Laboratory Director at Lifecodes Corporation, performing the first DNA tests for paternity
Paternity (law)
In law, paternity is the legal acknowledgment of the parental relationship between a man and a child usually based on several factors.At common law, a child born to the wife during a marriage is the husband's child under the "presumption of legitimacy", and the husband is assigned complete rights,...
and forensic analysis; became first to report results of DNA tests in paternity and forensics at the International Society of Forensic Hemogenetics meeting in Copenhagen
1987: First to testify in a criminal case using DNA testing; first conviction in a criminal case using DNA test results
1989: Member of the panel of the Office of Technology Assessment, a federal government organization, evaluating the use of DNA for identification in paternity and forensics
1990: Vice President of Laboratory Operation at Lifecodes Corporation
1991: Testimony to the National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
panel investigating the use of DNA for identification
1993: Involvement in the development of DNA techniques for the determination of HLA
HLA
-Biochemistry:*Human leukocyte antigen, a key part of the human immune system, or the paternity test based upon it*Hyaluronic Acid, an important molecule that plays a role throughout the body's skin and connective tissues.-Computing:...
types for tissue transplantation
1994: Began testing samples for the National Marrow Donor Program
National Marrow Donor Program
National Marrow Donor Program® Be The Match is the global leader in providing marrow and umbilical cord blood transplants to patients with leukemia, lymphoma and other diseases. The nonprofit organization matches patients with donors, educates health care professionals and conducts research so more...
registry
1995: On-air consultant for NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
during the OJ Simpson case
2002 – present: Laboratory Director at DNA Diagnostics Center
2006 – 2007: DNA testing expert, court-appointed in 2007, for paternity case of Dannielynn Hope Marshall Stern (daughter of Anna Nicole Smith
Anna Nicole Smith
In 1992 Smith was chosen by Hugh Hefner to appear on the cover of the March issue of Playboy, where she was listed as Vickie Smith, wearing a low-cut evening gown. The centerfold was photographed by Stephen Wayda. Smith said she planned to be "the next Marilyn Monroe". Becoming one of Playboys...
)
Media Activity
Baird appeared on NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
as a media consultant on the OJ Simpson case. He recently served as the DNA testing expert in the paternity
Paternity (law)
In law, paternity is the legal acknowledgment of the parental relationship between a man and a child usually based on several factors.At common law, a child born to the wife during a marriage is the husband's child under the "presumption of legitimacy", and the husband is assigned complete rights,...
case that named Larry Birkhead
Larry Birkhead
Larry E. Birkhead was a partner of Anna Nicole Smith and is the father of her daughter, Dannielynn. He was in a child custody battle for his daughter until DNA results proved his paternity.-Personal life:...
as the biological father of Anna Nicole Smith’s daughter, Dannielynn. Upon announcement of Birkhead’s paternity of Dannielynn, Baird was interviewed by national and local media personalities, including Larry King
Larry King
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....
, Nancy Grace
Nancy Grace
Nancy Ann Grace is an American legal commentator, television host, television journalist, and former prosecutor. She frequently discusses issues from what she describes as a victims' rights standpoint, with an outspoken style that has won her both praise and condemnation...
, and Greta Van Susteren
Greta Van Susteren
Greta Van Susteren is an American commentator and television personality on the Fox News Channel, where she hosts On the Record w/ Greta Van Susteren...
.