Lori E. Baker

Biography

I am an associate professor of anthropology at Baylor University, specializing in molecular and forensic analysis of skeletal remains. I am the Founder and Executive Director of the International Consortium for Forensic Identification, Reuniting Families Project. I also work internationally on the recovery and identification of remains of victims of human rights violations and assisted in the establishment of Mexico’s Missing Nationals Abroad database. I have been an invited speaker in many national and international venues such as at the Peace Palace in The Hague as part of the International Commission on Missing Persons Conference and Amnesty International. I have performed forensic DNA analysis of over 350 skeletal cases from 2003- 2012 of missing persons for the U.S., Mexico, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Peru and Honduras resulting in the identification of over 70 individuals. I have acted as a consultant to the Attorney General of Mexican State of Chihuahua as well as to the Washington Office on Latin America, the U.S. Agency for International Development as well as to Truth Commissions in Peru and Panama. I am a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and have published in national and international journals. My work has been featured in Discovery Magazine, National Geographic, NPR, The Washington Post, USA Today, MSNBC, The Wall Street Journal, and other media outlets.

Research Interest

molecular and forensic analysis of skeletal remains