Eric Romanowski is Research Director of the Charles T. Campbell Ophthalmic Microbiology Laboratory and a Research Instructor of Ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Eric has been a member of the Campbell Laboratory since 1984. The major focus of his research has been the evaluation and development of new antibiotics and antivirals for the treatment of eye infections.
- Duquesne University, MS in Microbiology
- Duquesne University, BS in Biology
Education & Training
Moxifloxacin-resistant and moxifloxacin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Keratitis: Outcomes from a 10-year retrospective study. Diacou R, Singh RB, Romanowski EG, Mandell JB, Mammen A, Shanks RMQ, Jhanji V. Ocul Surf. 2025 Jun 23;38:97-103. doi: 10.1016/j.jtos.2025.06.008. Online ahead of print. PMID: 40562210
Double Povidone-Iodine 5% Preparation Before Cataract Surgery for Endophthalmitis Prevention. Odden JL, Winters J, Zlotcavitch L, Mammen A, Romanowski EG, Shanks RMQ, Dhaliwal DK. Eye Contact Lens. 2025 Apr 1;51(4):161-164. doi: 10.1097/ICL.0000000000001164. Epub 2025 Jan 21. PMID: 39836936
Efficacy of Cefiderocol Against Endophthalmitis Isolates. Schilling B, Hii M, Shanks HQ, Romanowski EG, Mandell JB, Shanks RMQ, Zegans M. Antibiotics (Basel). 2024 Dec 23;13(12):1236. doi: 10.3390/antibiotics13121236. PMID: 39766626
The Efficacy of Topical Cefiderocol Treatment of Experimental Extensively Drug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Keratitis Is Dependent upon the State of the Corneal Epithelium. Romanowski EG, Mandell JB, Jhanji V, Shanks RMQ. Antibiotics (Basel). 2024 Oct 17;13(10):979. doi: 10.3390/antibiotics13100979. PMID: 39452245
Cefiderocol Is an Effective Topical Monotherapy for Experimental Extensively Drug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Keratitis. Romanowski EG, Mumper SM, Shanks HQ, Yates KA, Mandell JB, Zegans ME, Shanks RMQ. Ophthalmol Sci. 2023 Dec 13;4(4):100452. doi: 10.1016/j.xops.2023.100452. eCollection 2024 Jul-Aug. PMID: 38560275
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.