Eric Skaar is the Ernest W. Goodpasture Professor of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology and a University Distinguished Professor at Vanderbilt University. At Vanderbilt, he serves in multiple leadership roles, including but not limited to the Director of the Division of Molecular Pathogenesis and the Director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation.

Dr. Skaar is known for his foundational discoveries in bacterial trafficking of essential metals and host nutritional immunity. His group’s research focuses on characterizing the factors and processes involved in the battle between host and pathogen for metals and how this interplay shapes infection. Dr. Skaar’s group has made significant contributions to these fields in diverse bacterial pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus anthracis, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Clostridioides difficile. His work has a broad impact, uncovering aspects of fundamental microbial metabolism and identifying novel, specific targets for antimicrobial therapeutics. In recognition of the pioneering nature of his work on our understanding of nutritional immunity and bacterial pathogenesis, Dr. Skaar was elected to the US National Academy of Sciences in April 2025.

Dr. Skaar received his B.S. in Bacteriology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his Ph.D. in Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis at Northwestern University. During his graduate training, Dr. Skaar’s interest in molecular epidemiology motivated him to pursue a joint M.P.H., helping establish one of the few Ph.D./M.P.H. dual degrees available in the country. His graduate work, advised by Dr. Hank Seifert, focused on characterizing genes supporting DNA repair and oxidative stress survival in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. From there, Dr. Skaar completed his postdoctoral training at the University of Chicago with Dr. Olaf Schneewind. There, he made many important contributions to our understanding of how S. aureus acquires iron from heme to initiate infection.

Since establishing his lab at Vanderbilt, Dr. Skaar has been awarded many prestigious accolades, such as the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Investigator in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease, the Searle Scholar Award (2006), and the Pfizer ASPIRE Young Investigator Award (2009). Additionally, Dr. Skaar has been elected into multiple societies, including the American Academy of Microbiology (2015), American Association for the Advancement of Science (2017), and the US National Academy of Sciences (2025). Beyond his academic duties, Dr. Skaar served on the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Advisory Board for the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease Program, the External Advisory Board for Pfizer Vaccines, and sits on the editorial board for multiple journals, including the Journal of Bacteriology, Cell Reports, and Molecular Microbiology.

Dr. Skaar has a significant interest in art and is the Director of the VI4 Artist-in-Residence Program, which is one of the largest Science-Art programs in the US. This program provides a platform for young scientists and artists to visually communicate important scientific topics to broad audiences. Click here to learn more and to admire their impressive works!