As compared to the gold standard nasopharyngeal swab, Dr. Wyllie’s work has identified saliva as a reliable sample type for the sensitive detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) in healthy older adults and more recently, SARS-CoV-2 in persons suspected of COVID-19. Improved detection of the pneumococcus has unveiled hidden reservoirs of pneumococcus in older adults which holds importance when new vaccination strategies for preventing pneumococcal disease are being considered. For COVID-19, sampling saliva can alleviate many of the bottlenecks encountered in the mass testing strategies required to control continuing outbreaks. In an effort to address many of these issues, Wyllie further validated and optimized saliva for SARS-CoV-2 detection and developed SalivaDirect: a simple, scalable and importantly, cost-effective method to help alleviate SARS-CoV-2 testing demands.
| Award | Awarding Organization | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Unlocking Potential Grant | Microbiology Society | 2022 |
| 2021 Outstanding Manuscript of the Year | The Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities | 2022 |
| World Changing Ideas: Finalist | Fast Company | 2022 |
| COVID-19 Research Award | Yale School of Public Health | 2021 |
| Medal of Excellence | Northcote College Board of Trustees | 2020 |