Edzard Ernst is a distinguished medical scientist renowned for his pioneering contributions to evidence-based evaluation of complementary and alternative medicine. Born in Wiesbaden, Germany in 1948, he completed his medical education at Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich, qualifying as a physician in 1977 and earning both MD and PhD degrees. He established his academic credentials through prominent positions including Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Hannover Medical School in Germany and Head of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department at the University of Vienna in Austria. In 1993, Ernst made a seminal career transition by accepting the Laing Chair in Complementary Medicine at the University of Exeter, establishing the world's first academic department dedicated to the scientific study of complementary medicine.
His rigorous research program has systematically investigated the safety and efficacy of numerous complementary and alternative medicine practices through comprehensive systematic reviews and clinical trials across more than 1,000 peer-reviewed publications. Ernst's methodical work has demonstrated that only a small percentage of complementary and alternative medicine interventions are supported by robust scientific evidence, fundamentally reshaping the global discourse around alternative medical practices. As founding Editor-in-Chief of three medical journals including 'Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies' and 'Perfusion,' he created essential platforms for evidence-based discussion of therapies that had previously lacked scientific scrutiny. His influential books 'Trick or Treatment' and 'Healing, Hype, or Harm?' have become definitive references for understanding the scientific basis of alternative medicine.
Ernst has provided critical scientific oversight through service on the Medicines Commission of the British Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency from 1994 to 2005 and the Scientific Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products of the Irish Medicines Board. His incisive columns in major publications including The Guardian, The Independent, and The Spectator have educated both medical professionals and the public about evidence-based medicine principles for over two decades. Recognized with 17 scientific awards including the prestigious John Maddox Prize in 2015 and the Ockham Award in 2017, his unwavering commitment to scientific integrity has established new standards for evaluating medical claims. Now operating as Emeritus Professor from bases in Cambridge, UK and Brittany, France, Ernst continues to advance the cause of evidence-based medicine through ongoing writing, lectures, and advocacy well into the mid-2020s.
