Carl Thomas Wittwer MD, PhD

Carl Wittwer is a Professor of Pathology and adjunct professor of BioMedical Engineering at the University of Utah. He received a Ph.D. from Utah State University, a M.D. from the University of Michigan. Carl has published more than 200 research articles and book chapters focusing on technique and instrument development in molecular diagnostics. In the early 1990s he developed rapid-cycle PCR for DNA amplification in 10-15 min. In the mid-1990s, he adapted flow cytometry optics to thermal cycling for real-time monitoring of PCR. He introduced SYBR Green I, adjacent hybridization probes, melting analysis, and high-resolution melting (HRM) to real-time PCR, techniques that are widely used today. He has been on the Clinical Chemistry Board of Editors.

since 2000 and an Associate Editor since 2002. Recently, he has modified the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for efficient amplification in less than 30 s, and reduced times for melting analysis to less than 10 s, opening up new possibilities for 'while-you-wait' nucleic acid diagnostics. Academic recognition includes the AACC award for Outstanding Contributions to Clinical Chemistry in 2004, the IFCC Award for Significant Contributions to Molecular Diagnostics in 2005, the AMP Award for Excellence in Molecular Diagnostics in 2008, the University of Utah Award for Impact and Innovation in 2011, the AACC Edwin F. Ullman Award in 2013.