Thomas M. Ernst

Dr. Thomas M. Ernst is a Professor in the Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He serves as Technical Director of the Center for Advanced Imaging Research (CAIR) and leads multi-institutional research programs in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spectroscopy (MRS), focusing on prospective motion correction and pediatric neuroimaging. His work spans clinical applications in HIV, drug abuse, and post-COVID-19 brain effects.

• Education: PhD in Physics (University of Freiburg, Germany), Post-Doctoral Fellowship in MR Spectroscopy (HMRI/Caltech)

Research Interests: Dr. Ernst specializes in advanced MRI/MRS techniques to study brain development, motion correction in neuroimaging, and neurological impacts of HIV, methamphetamine abuse, and post-COVID-19 conditions. His lab develops real-time adaptive MRI methods to eliminate motion artifacts.

Recent Publications highlight trends in genome-wide association studies of visceral fat, neurovirology of long-term COVID-19 effects, and innovations in diffusion-weighted imaging.

• Scientific Awards: Fellow, International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (2011); Deputy Editor, Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (2013).

Grants: He leads NIH/NIDA-funded projects including the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study and neural correlates of working memory training in HIV patients. Past grants include a Bioengineering Research Partnership (BRP) for motion correction techniques.

Labs: Dr. Ernst directs the Center for Advanced Imaging Research (CAIR) at UMB, collaborating with institutions like Johns Hopkins and the University of Freiburg. His lab works on commercializing motion correction technologies via KinetiCor Inc.