Claire Cassar
Papers
2
Total Citations
51
H-Index
2
About
Claire Cassar is a biomedical researcher whose work centers on developing rapid, accessible diagnostic tools for infectious disease detection, with a particular focus on SARS-CoV-2. Her major contribution lies in optimizing simplified sample preparation methods that enable direct viral RNA detection in saliva using reverse-transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP). This approach eliminates the need for complex RNA extraction steps, significantly reducing testing time and resource requirements—a critical advantage during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her most-cited paper, with 44 citations, details the preliminary optimization of a mucolytic pre-treatment step (diluting saliva 1:1 in Mucol) that permits direct RT-LAMP detection of SARS-CoV-2 from saliva samples. This work addresses a key bottleneck in point-of-care testing: making sample preparation simple enough for non-laboratory settings while maintaining sensitivity. Cassar’s research has practical implications for pandemic response, particularly in low-resource environments where rapid, low-cost testing is essential. Her contributions exemplify how methodological innovations can translate into real-world diagnostic solutions, and her citation record reflects the relevance of her work to the global scientific community striving for faster, more equitable testing strategies.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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