Robert K. Ernst, PhD
Dr. Paul and Mrs. Jean Corcoran Endowed Professor and Chair, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Maryland School of Dentistry
Robert Ernst has been at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD) since 2008. He also is an adjunct professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
The Ernst laboratory has been at the forefront of research studying the molecular basis and adaptive significance of modifications to the structure of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Its focus is on the elucidation of the molecular basis by which gram-negative bacteria modify the lipid A component of LPS and how these alterations affect or circumvent normal host innate immune system responses. Host immune detection of LPS is extremely sensitive — such that bloodstream infections can cause a severe complication called endotoxic shock, a major clinical problem leading to about 200,000 deaths in the United States per year.
The Ernst laboratory also focuses on the development of new antimicrobials that enhance innate immunity or inhibit bacterial resistance and the establishment of a clinical diagnostic platform for the rapid identification of bacterial and fungal pathogens directly from complex biological fluids. This diagnostic work led to the establishment in 2016 of Pataigin LLC, which is developing a low-cost, rapid identification platform (BACLIB) that can identify a wide range of bacteria and fungi directly from clinically relevant samples, including blood and urine.
Dr. Ernst, who earned his PhD from the University of Virginia, has received more than $20 million in research funding since 2008. This work has resulted in over 190 peer-reviewed manuscripts with 17,000 citations. He was named the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s 2017 Researcher of the Year and 2019 Entrepreneur of the Year. In 2020, he earned a University System of Maryland Board of Regents Faculty Award for Excellence in Research.
