Lars Eckmann

Lars Eckmann, M.D., is a Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), where he leads the Division of Gastroenterology. His research focuses on mucosal immunology, antimicrobial drug development, and host-pathogen interactions, with emphasis on protozoan infections (e.g., Giardia, Trichomonas) and gut-liver axis dynamics. He completed his M.D. at the University of Hamburg, Germany (1989) and postdoctoral training at UC San Diego (1996).

Dr. Eckmann directs NIH-funded projects including R01s on proteasome inhibitors for parasitic infections (R01AI158612) and nanoparticle mucosal vaccines (R21AI166815). His work integrates microbiology, immunology, and nanomedicine to develop novel therapeutics against diarrheal pathogens and inflammatory conditions.

His recent publications (2021–2025) demonstrate consistent themes:

• Antimicrobial innovation (e.g., gold-based compounds, proteasome inhibitors)
• Mucosal vaccine design using nanoparticle technology
• Microbiome modulation in metabolic liver disease
• Parasite-host interactions and immune evasion mechanisms

He leads multidisciplinary teams in the UCSD Digestive Diseases Research Center (NIH P30 grant) but has no listed students or scientific awards.