Carol Wise, Ph.D.

About

Carol A. Wise, Ph.D., is the director of the Scottish Rite for Children Center for Translational Research at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Additionally, she is a professor in the McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development and the departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

Dr. Wise earned her undergraduate degree in chemistry from Texas A&M University before earning her Doctor of Philosophy in biochemistry from UT Southwestern Medical Center. She completed postdoctoral training in human molecular genetics at Baylor College of Medicine and as a National Human Genome Research Institute fellow at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

Her research focuses on discovering the genetic and molecular causes of pediatric musculoskeletal disorders, particularly scoliosis and other developmental disorders of the spine. She has delivered lectures nationally and internationally while leading major collaborative research initiatives that have advanced the understanding of pediatric spine disorders and genetic disease around the world.

Dr. Wise serves as director of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Program Project investigating the developmental mechanisms of human idiopathic scoliosis, leading collaborations among researchers at Scottish Rite for Children, UT Southwestern Medical Center and top-tier academic institutions across the country.

She also founded the International Consortium for Spinal Genetics, Development and Disease, bringing together clinicians and scientists who are focused on understanding the causes of developmental disorders of the spine. These meetings have served as the springboard for multiple highly productive collaborations leading to many publications in the field.

Dr. Wise’s professional affiliations include the American Society of Human Genetics, the Scoliosis Research Society, the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, the Texas Genetics Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Her goal is to translate genetic discoveries into meaningful advances that improve the diagnosis, treatment and quality of life for children with musculoskeletal disorders.

Academic Appointment

Professor, UT Southwestern Medical Center, McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development and Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Pediatrics