Chris Carlson, PhD

Chris Carlson, PhD, is executive vice president of Research, Corporate Development, and Intuitive Ventures, responsible for identifying, evaluating, and developing new technologies, clinical indications, platforms, and business opportunities for Intuitive.

Previously Dr. Carlson was senior vice president and general manager of the Intuitive multiport business unit and before that, he oversaw design, development, and commercialization of Ion, the company’s robotic bronchoscopy system.

Prior to joining Intuitive in 2013, Carlson served as CEO and co-founder of Gantto, a web-based platform for creating and publishing Gantt charts. Before Gantto, Carlson was at Hansen Medical where he held several leadership roles, including fellow and vice president of engineering, while developing Sensei, a flexible robotic platform for treating complex arrhythmias of the heart.

Carlson has BS in mechanical engineering from the University of California at Davis and a PhD and MS in mechanical engineering from Stanford University.