Principles and Applications of Molecular Diagnostics

Andrea Rita Horvath’s key research interests include evidence-based laboratory medicine (EBLM) including evidence-based monitoring, guideline development, and evaluation of new biomarkers and overdiagnosis. She holds advisory roles on test utilization and reimbursement policy at the National Prescribing Service of Australia and Medicare. She has published 160 research papers and 16 book chapters and has been an invited speaker at over 100 international conferences. Her national and international leadership positions include Chair of the IFCC Committee on EBLM (2003-2008); European Communities Confederation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EC4) Secretary (2005-2007); President of the Hungarian Society (2005-2008) and the Hungarian College of Laboratory Medicine (2008-2009); President-Elect (2007-2009), President (2009-2011) and Past President (2012-2013) of the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM); chair of the EFLM working group on Test Evaluation (2011-2015) and member of the Board of Directors of the American Association of Clinical Chemistry (2014-2016).

Dr. Wittwer is currently the medical director of Immunologic Flow Cytometry at Associated Regional and University Pathologists (ARUP), Salt Lake City, UT. In the early 1990s, he initiated molecular diagnostics at ARUP by forming its first molecular lab. From 2002 to 2012 he served as medical director of the Advanced Technology Group at ARUP. He is board certified in anatomic and clinical pathology by the American Board of Pathology. In 1990, Dr. Wittwer co-founded BioFire Diagnostics, a company that has grown to over 600 people. He is the primary inventor of the LightCycler® system, and he served as Chairman of the Board from 2012-2014 until the company was acquired by BioMerrieux. In 2003 the R.A.P.I.D.®, a portable version of the LightCycler, was selected as the real-time PCR platform for military defense against biologic weapons by the US government. Dr. Wittwer holds 37 US patents and their foreign equivalents. He received small business innovation awards in 1999 and 2002, the State of Utah Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology in 2003 and the IQLM Technical Advancement Award in 2005. Since 2003, he has directed the State of Utah Center of Excellence on “Homogeneous DNA Analysis.”