Chris Carlson

Chris Carlson, Ph.D. is Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Multiport business unit at Intuitive, which includes its da Vinci surgical system. Dr. Carlson is known for his entrepreneurial approach to leadership and new product development. Previously, he oversaw the system design, development, and commercialization of the company’s no-port robotic platform—the Ion endoluminal system—which enables physicians to reach and biopsy small nodules in the periphery of the lung.

Chris joined Intuitive in 2013 to direct the development of the Ion program. Prior to Intuitive, he served as CEO and co-founder of Gantto, an easy-to-use web-based platform for creating and publishing Gantt charts. Before Gantto, Chris was at Hanson 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.

Chris has a Ph.D. and Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University and a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at Davis.