The University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD) has established a new endowed professorship with the Maryland Department of Commerce and private matching funds.
Robert Ernst, PhD. Image courtesy of the University of Maryland.The UMSOD has been awarded $750,000 by the commerce department's Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative Fund (MEIF). In combination with matching funds from private philanthropy, this award will establish the Dr. Paul & Mrs. Jean Corcoran Endowed Professorship, which will support the work of Robert Ernst, PhD, a professor and vice chair in UMSOD's department of microbial pathogenesis.
Ernst has been researching the interplay between a bacterial pathogen and the host defense mechanism, and the work has led to the development of a diagnostic test for rapidly identifying infections caused by bacteria or fungi, according to the university. He is also a co-founder of the company Pataigin, which is developing a method to quickly identify disease-producing agents.
