Robert A. Balk

Robert A. Balk, MD is a Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine at Rush Medical College, Rush University. His clinical expertise spans critical care medicine, pulmonary diseases, and cystic fibrosis. He holds faculty appointments at Rush University and actively contributes to clinical research on corticosteroid therapy in sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and pneumonia.

Dr. Balk's research focuses on critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency (CIRCI), systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), and biomarker utilization in pneumonia diagnosis. He co-authored key clinical guidelines including the 2024 SCCM/ESICM corticosteroid use guidelines and contributed to studies on Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia epidemiology.

His academic profile includes over 70 publications across critical care, pulmonology, and endocrinology. He completed his MD at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, followed by residency in internal medicine and a pulmonary disease fellowship at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.