Eric Romanowski, MS

As Research Director of the Charles T. Campbell Ophthalmic Microbiology Laboratory, I am involved with a number of research projects that involve viral, bacterial, and fungal infections of the eye. The major focus of my research has been investigating adenovirus eye infections. These infections are commonly referred to as viral “pink eye,” for which there is no FDA approved antiviral treatment to reduce patient suffering and prevent vision altering corneal infiltrates. My research includes the in vitro evaluation of antivirals against adenovirus and the development of a reliable animal model for adenoviral ocular infections which can be used to test and develop antiviral treatments as well as to evaluate effects of topical corticosteroid use in these infections.

In addition to my work on antiviral testing and development, I have performed a number of studies evaluating the pathogenesis of ocular bacterial infections and the use of topical antibiotics for the treatment and prevention of ocular bacterial infections in vitro and in animal models. These studies provided the ophthalmic community with important information regarding bacterial eye infections and the efficacy and potential new indications for use of new and existing topical and intraocular antibiotics as well as new delivery systems for those antibiotics.

Currently, I am collaborating with several pharmaceutical and biotech companies on new treatments for viral and bacterial eye infections. I am also collaborating with Dr. Robert Shanks with his research on bacterial eye infections. Pending research grants include collaborations with researchers from Harvard on an antibiotic/steroid eluting contact lens for use in a battlefield situation, NYU on waste in cataract surgery, and the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Industrial Engineering on the development and testing of contact lenses that repel bacteria thus reducing the potential of contact lens related eye infections.