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Edzard Ernst, MD, PhD

Founding Fellow
Board of Directors

Exeter, Devon, UK

Professor Edzard Ernst, MD, PhD, FMedSci, FSB, FRCP, FRCP (Edin.), is one of the world’s foremost defenders of science in the field of medicine and a leading critic of the inclusion of ineffective practices, such as homeopathy, in the UK’s National Health Service. He has conducted devastating systematic reviews on research funded by the US National Centers for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM).

Dr Ernst is a professor emeritus at Peninsula Medical School, University of Exeter, UK. Until May 2011, he served as Director for the Complementary Medicine Center at the Universities of Exeter & Plymouth. A prolific writer, he has published over 1,000 peer-reviewed papers and more than 40 books, plus dozens of book chapters, and delivered some 500 invited lectures. He is founder and editor-in-chief of two medical journals: FACT (Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies) and Perfusion.

Qualified as a physician in Germany, where he also completed his PhD dissertation, Dr Ernst became Professor in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR) at Hannover Medical School and Head of the PMR Department at the University of Vienna. He came to the University of Exeter in 1993 to establish the first chair in Complementary Medicine in the UK. He served on the Medicines Commission of the British Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (1994 – 2005) and on the Scientific Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products of the Irish Medicines Board. Dr Ernst has received 13 scientific prizes/awards and two Visiting Professorships.


Selected Books:

Trick or Treatment: The Undeniable Facts about Alternative Medicine, with Simon Singh (WW Norton, 2008). Whether you are an ardent believer in alternative medicine, a skeptic, or are simply baffled by the range of services and opinions, this groundbreaking analysis lays to rest doubts and contradictions with authority, integrity, and clarity. Over thirty of the most popular treatments-including acupuncture, homeopathy, aromatherapy, reflexology, chiropractic, and herbal medicines-are examined for their benefits and potential dangers. What works and what doesn't? Who can you trust, and who is ripping you off? In its scrutiny of alternative and complementary cures, this book also strives to reassert the primacy of the scientific method as a means for determining public health practice and policy.

Healing, Hype, or Harm? A Critical Analysis of Complementary or Alternative Medicine, ed. (Societas Imprint Academic, 2008). The scientists writing this book are not 'against' complementary or alternative medicine (CAM), but they are very much 'for' evidence-based medicine and single standards. They aim to counter-balance the many uncritical books on CAM and to stimulate intelligent, well-informed public debate. Includes an essay by ISM Fellow T Polevoy.

The Oxford Handbook of Complementary Medicine, with Max H. Pittler, Barbara Wider, Kate Boddy (Oxford University Press, 2008). This presents evidence-based information on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in an easily accessible form, thereby enabling hospital doctors, GPs, nurses, medical students and other healthcare professionals to competently advise patients about CAM treatments. The information is presented in a concise, matter-of-fact fashion, avoiding the obscure jargon sometimes used in CAM. Many issues surrounding CAM remain controversial and this handbook discusses them openly and critically.


Selected Papers:

• "National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine-funded randomised controlled trials of acupuncture: a systematic review," (with J Snyder and RA Dunlop), Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies, 2012 Mar; 17(1):15-21. [DOI] [Abstract]

• “Detox: flushing out poison or absorbing dangerous claptrap?” The Guardian, 2011 Aug 29.
• “NCCAM-funded RCTs of herbal medicine: an independent critical assessment” (with SK Hung & Y Clement), Perfusion, 2011; 24:89-102.

• “Homeopathy in severe sepsis,” [letter to editor] Homeopathy, 2011 Jul, 100(3):195. [DOI]
• “Deaths after chiropractic: a review of published cases,” International Journal of Clinical Practice, 2010 Jul; 64(8):1162-1165. [abstract] [DOI]
• “An independent review of studies of ‘energy medicine’ funded by the US National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine,” Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies, 2011 May 12. [DOI]

• “An independent review of NCCAM-funded studies of chiropractic,” with P Posadzki, Clinical Rheumatology, 2011 May; 30(5):593-600. [Abstract] [DOI]
• “Vascular accidents after neck manipulation: cause or coincidence?” International Journal of Clinical Practice, 2010 May; 64(6):673-677. [DOI]
• “Acupuncture: Does it alleviate pain and are there serious risks? A review of reviews,” (with Myeong Soo Lee & Tae-Young Choi), Pain, 2011 Apr; 152(4):755-764. [Abstract]
• “Homeopathy: what does the ‘best’ evidence tell us?” Medical Journal of Australia, 2010 Apr 19; 192(8):458-60. [Abstract]
• “Chiropractic claims in the English-speaking world” (with A Gilbey), New Zealand Medical Journal, 2010 Apr 9; 123(1312):36-44. [Abstract]
• “The anarchy of evidence,” British Journal of General Practice, 2010 Feb; 60(571):135. [DOI]
• “Acupuncture,” Lancet Oncology, 2010 Jan; 11(1):20. [DOI]
• “Homeopathy, a ‘helpful placebo’ or an unethical intervention?” Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, 2010 Jan; 31(1):1. [DOI]
• “Spinal manipulation for asthma: A systematic review of randomised clinical trials,” Respiratory Medicine, 2009 Dec, 103(12):1791-1795. [Abstract] [DOI]
• “Should We Maintain an Open Mind about Homeopathy?” [with M Baum] The American Journal of Medicine, 2009 Nov, 122(11):973-974.
• “Evidence-based practice in British complementary and alternative medicine: double standards?” (with K Hunt), Journal of Health Services Research & Policy, 2009 Oct; 14(4):219-223. [abstract]
• “NICE guidelines on complementary/alternative medicine: more consistency and rigour are needed” (with R Terry), British Journal of General Practice, 2009 Sep; 59(566):695. [DOI]
• “Complementary/alternative medicine for disease prevention: the good, the bad and the ugly,” Preventive Medicine, 2009 Aug-Sep; 49(2-3):77. [DOI]
• “Testing traditional cupping therapy,” Journal of Pain, 2009 Jun;10(6):555.
• “How much of CAM is based on research evidence?” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2009 May 21. [ePub only]
• “Complementary/alternative medicine: engulfed by postmodernism, anti-science and regressive thinking,” British Journal of General Practice, 2009 Apr; 59(561):298-301 [DOI]; discussion, Jul, 59(564):541; author reply, 541-542.
• “Complementary and alternative medicine: between evidence and absurdity,” Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, 2009 Spring; 52(2):289-303. [abstract]
• “Winnowing the chaff of charlatanism from the wheat of science,” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2009 Feb 6. [ePub only]
• “Why would anyone use an unproven or disproven therapy? A personal view,” Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 2009; 102:452-453. [DOI]
• “Some complementary and alternative therapies are too implausible to be investigated” (with CNM Renckens), Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies, 2003 Sep; 8(3):307-308.

Selected presentations:

• Fifth World Skeptics Congress, Abano Terme, Italy, 2004 Oct 8-10. [extract]

Recent blog entries (Pulse):

• “Pseudo-arguments, strawmen and smoke-screens,” 2010 Sep 2.
• “Advice to die for,” 2010 Aug 26.
• “Traditional herbalism: no good evidence that it works,” 2010 Aug 18.

• “Garlic: a success story in herbal medicine,” 2010 Aug 12.
• “A smokescreen and a farce,” 2010 Aug 5.
• “Why we should abandon reiki,” 2010 Aug 2.

• “Does upper spinal manipulation cause vascular accidents?” 2010 Jul 27.
• “How much negative evidence is enough?” 2010 Jul 23.
• “Homeopathy is given a rough ride,” 2010 Jul 20.

• “Why GPs should be concerned about naturopathy,” 2010 Jul 5.
• “Why insist on scientific rigour?” 2010 Jun 30.
• “Acupuncture, research and logic,” 2010 Jun 24.
• “Why the founder of homeopathy should be celebrated,” 2010 Jun 15.
• “The General Chiropractic Council clarifies its position on subluxation,” 2010 Jun 10.
• “Of parachutes and strawmen,” 2010 May 27.
• “Light-weight evidence is not enough,” 2010 May 19.
• “I won’t be mourning their demise,” 2010 May 19.
• “Anecdotal evidence,” 2010 May 12.
• “A victory for freedom of speech,” 2010 May 4. On the legal victory of Simon Singh over the British Chiropractic Association’s libel suit in the UK courts.
• “The Dandelion Diet, or how to sell utter nonsense,” 2010 Apr 25.
• “In self-defence,” 2010 Apr 12.
• “Chiropractic in a pickle,” 2010 Apr 6.
• “Why I support the complaint against the Prince,” 2010 Mar 22.
• “Are the forces of rationality gathering?” 2010 Mar 15.
• “Research with a stacked deck,” 2010 Mar 5.
• “Misleading the public,” 2010 Feb 25.
• “Acupuncture for chronic pain?” 2010 Feb 22.
• “The BMA has got it right on complementary therapies,” 2010 Feb 12.
• “Homeopathic remedies – helpful, benign placebos?” 2010 Feb 5.
• “The obstacles to CAM research,” 2010 Jan 20.
• “Quack spotting,” 2010 Jan 5.

In the news:

• “Who we gonna call? Quackbuster!” by Cassandra Jardine, The Telegraph, 2011 Aug 22.

• “Alternative medicine investigator: Placebos and platitudes,” by David Cohen, New Scientist, 2011 Aug, 2826. [Excerpt]

• “Edzard Ernst: The professor at war with the prince,” By Susanna Rustin, The Guardian, 2011 Jul 30.

• “Scientist criticises Prince over alternative therapies,” by Andrew Jack, The Financial Times, 2011 Jul 25.

• “Iraqi doctors use acupuncture,” by Luisetta Mudie, Healthcare Today, 2010 May 4. [ePub only]
• “Complementary health foundation closes,” by Steve Nowottny and Nigel Praities, Pulse Today, 2010 May 4. [ePub only]
• “Why alternative medicine wins from the foundation‘s demise,” by Edzard Ernst, The Independent [UK], 2010 May 1.
• “Acupuncture gave little relief in labour: study,” CBC News, 2010 Apr 28.
• “Police probe into missing £300k at Prince Charles’ charity after bosses fail to file accounts,” by Martin Delgado and Andrew Young, Mail [London], 2010 Apr 4.
• “Prince Charles health charity accused of vendetta against critic,” by Robert Booth, Guardian [UK], 2010 Mar 19.
• “Complementary therapies research unit ‘to close after royal secretary’s complaint’,” by Nigel Praities, Pulse Today, 2010 Mar 18. [ePub only]
• “Can chiropractic help your child’s asthma? Edzard Ernst says ‘nope’,” by Colin Hockings, Blue Genes, 2009 Aug 26.

• “Is a degree in homeopathy a sick joke?” by Richard Tomkins, Financial Times Magazine, 2009 May 23. About Dr Ernst’s position: “[H]e left a post at the University of Vienna in 1993 to become Britain’s first professor of complementary medicine at Exeter University. But if advocates of alternative therapies had hoped that their field was at last to receive the recognition it deserved, their hopes were to be cruelly dashed: for Ernst emerged not as an advocate of complementary medicine, but as its scourge.”
• “Complementary therapies: The big con?” The Independent, 2008 Apr 22.

“BBC News - Newsnight - The faith healers who claim they can cure cancer”




The Online Edzard Ernst:

• Curriculum Vitae