Elof Axel Carlson

Elof Axel Carlson (1931 – December 17, 2025) was an American geneticist who was a distinguished teaching professor emeritus at State University of New York at Stony Brook, as well as being a historian of science. Carlson earned his B.A. in 1953 from New York University, and his PhD in 1958 in zoology from Indiana University Bloomington under the mentorship of Hermann Joseph Muller. Carlson was a past recipient of the E. Harris Harbison Award for excellence in teaching given by the Danforth Foundation.

Carlson was a visiting professor at the University of Minnesota, San Diego State University, and Tougaloo College. He was also a McMurrin Visiting Professor at the University of Utah. He also taught on several voyages of Semester at Sea.

Carlson died in Vancouver, Washington, on December 17, 2025, at the age of 94.