SUMMARY
Floranne C. Ernste, M.D., is an adult rheumatologist in the Division of Rheumatology at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Ernste's clinical research interest focuses on the epidemiology, clinical phenotypes, treatment and prognosis of inflammatory disorders of the skeletal muscles, also known as myopathies.
Focus areas
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Inflammatory myopathies. Through collaboration with national and international researchers in the myopathy field, including neurologists, dermatologists, pulmonologists and exercise physiotherapists, Dr. Ernste seeks to improve the health outcomes of patients with myopathies.
She leads and contributes to research involving the epidemiology, treatment and outcomes of people who have dermatomyositis, anti-synthetase syndrome, necrotizing autoimmune myopathies and inclusion body myositis. Further, she has served as the principal investigator in randomized, placebo-controlled treatment trials for people who have dermatomyositis and polymyositis.
- Necrotizing autoimmune myopathies. Dr. Ernste and her colleagues are studying clinical phenotypes of people with necrotizing autoimmune myopathies, also known as immune-mediated necrotizing myopathies. Dr. Ernste has a particular interest in studying people with anti-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR+) necrotizing autoimmune myopathies and finding effective treatment and management strategies for them.
Significance to patient care
Dr. Ernste collaborates with multidisciplinary national and international research teams that seek to improve the health and long-term outcomes of people with myopathies. While there have been some advances in available treatments in the myositis field, the disease burden is still high for people with myopathic diseases; many patients experience varying responses — and at times lack of response — to treatments currently available. Dr. Ernste hopes that future research will help establish assessment guidelines for malignancies of unknown origin in people with newly diagnosed myopathies and improve the long-term prognosis of people with muscle damage from chronic diseases.
Dr. Ernste's hope is that her research will result in more-effective treatments and individualized management strategies for every person with myositis.
Professional highlights
- Member, Medical advisory board, The Myositis Association, 2017-present
- Member, International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies Group, 2012-present