1. Anne Louise Wyllie was born on 1985 and is a New Zealand microbiologist who was the lead author of a 2020 research article which led to the development of the SalivaDirect PCR method of testing saliva for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Anne Wyllie has worked on community studies to better understand pneumococcal disease.
Anne Wyllie completed a BSc in Biomedical Science at the University of Auckland in 2007, followed by a Postgraduate Diploma, and Masters in Medical Science in 2009 at the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, with a dissertation entitled In vitro studies of the anti-tumour agent DMXAA.
Anne Wyllie began working on the use of saliva as a sample source to improve the detection of the pneumococcus bacteria in community settings in 2011.
In early 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Anne Wyllie joined the Yale IMPACT Covid responses where they encountered a collapse of the supply chain for nasopharyngeal swabs, as well as hesitancy by both patients and healthcare staff to perform swabbing.
Anne Wyllie wanted to develop a saliva test for SARS-CoV-2 but was hampered by a lack of funding.
Anne Wyllie was critical of the method used to validate the saliva test conducted by Asia Pacific Healthcare Group in New Zealand, saying that APHG was using methods that were not widely used overseas.
In September 2021, Anne Wyllie said in an interview on Radio New Zealand that the New Zealand government had been "badly advised" with respect to saliva testing.
Anne Wyllie received a Medal of Excellence from the Northcote College Board of Trustees in 2020.
Anne Wyllie received the COVID-19 Research Award from the Yale School of Public Health in 2021.