Our team
Meet the leadership team at SKM Instruments, who have worked together for over 24 years to design and create unique spectroscopic instrumentation. With an impressive mix of science, engineering, and business experience, the team has established themselves as leaders in the spectroscopy community.
Dr. Keith Carron, President
Dr. Keith Carron is an accomplished chemist, entrepreneur, and academic with extensive expertise in spectroscopy, materials science, and analytical instrumentation. He received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Northwestern University, did his postdoctoral research at the ETH in Zürich, and held a faculty position for 27 years at the University of Wyoming where he contributed significantly to research in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), plasmonics, and the development of novel analytical techniques.
Dr. Carron has been instrumental in bridging the gap between fundamental research and practical applications. He is the founder of several instrumentation companies, including DeltaNu, which focused on compact Raman systems and was later acquired by Intevac. He subsequently co-founded Snowy Range Instruments, where they spearheaded the development of next-generation portable spectrometers. Snowy Range Instruments was later acquired by Metrohm, a global leader in chemical analysis, where Dr. Carron continued as CEO to further develop advanced spectroscopic technologies.
He serves as the co-founder and CEO of SKM Instruments, an enterprise dedicated to the design and production of interferometric spectroscopy tools and biomedical diagnostics. He holds 17 patents and has 42 peer-reviewed publications with over 4000 citations.
Mark Watson, Lead Design Engineer
Mark A. Watson is a seasoned electrical engineer and product innovator with over three decades of experience in developing cutting-edge instrumentation across electro-optics, embedded systems, and precision analog design. At SKM Instruments he has developed the opto-electronics and embedded control system for a miniature novel FT Raman spectrometer. Mark is at home in a multi-disciplinary role, and he has a strong track record of bringing innovative sensor and spectrometer technologies from concept to market.
Mark has led the design and development of industry-first portable Raman spectrometers and holds multiple patents in optical spectroscopy. As a co-founder and lead engineer at both Metrohm Raman and DeltaNu, he drove technical innovation that significantly improved sensitivity and usability in handheld analytical instruments. His multidisciplinary approach integrates electronics, firmware, optics, and regulatory compliance into cohesive, market-ready products.
In addition to his entrepreneurial ventures, Mark has worked as a consultant and senior engineer for a range of companies in medical imaging, environmental monitoring, and high-voltage diagnostics. His background includes developing MRI system controllers, groundwater probes, and RF amplifier systems.
He earned his BSEE from the University of Colorado and continues to push the boundaries of scientific instrumentation with a hands-on, systems-oriented mindset.
Shane Buller, Lead Opto-Mechanical Engineer
Shane Buller is an accomplished opto-mechanical engineer with 25 years of experience advancing spectroscopy instrumentation. As a co-founder of SKM Instruments, he has led the optical and mechanical system design of novel interferometric methodologies for Raman and NIR spectroscopies, resulting in six provisional and patent filings.
Shane received a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wyoming. He was Director of Engineering at Snowy Range Instruments, a Metrohm AG subsidiary, where he scaled the development team, established agile/lean product development processes, and integrated global collaboration across Europe, India, and the US. He played a key role in achieving ISO 9001 certification and cultivating a hands-on, collaborative engineering culture.
Throughout his career, Shane’s designs have driven significant performance improvements in handheld and benchtop spectroscopic systems. Early in his career, he joined Keith Carron and Mark Watson at DeltaNu to co-develop the world’s first handheld Raman spectrometer. Shane is named on over 15 patents and has contributed solutions for organizations including MIT, Medtronic, the Ministry of Defense, and the Department of Defense.
Dr. Wei Yu, Product Manager
Wei Yu is a research scientist and entrepreneur with extensive experience in startup ventures, product development, and innovative research. He holds a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Maryland, College Park, where he specialized in biosensor development and Raman spectroscopy.
Wei's work spans the design, manufacturing, and optimization of biosensor assays, as well as the development and application of advanced Raman instrumentation and Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) substrate fabrication. He has a proven track record of securing competitive research funding, having successfully authored numerous grant proposals and served as principal investigator on several high-impact projects. His research contributions have advanced the scientific understanding of Raman spectroscopy and SERS, resulting in multiple peer-reviewed publications.
In addition to his technical expertise, Wei has significant experience in product management, leading cross-functional teams, driving commercialization strategies, and bringing innovative technologies to market.