Ellen Jo Baron

Clinical Focus

• Pathology
• Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Administrative Appointments

• Associate Director, Clinical Microbiology Laboratory Interim Director, Clinical Virology Laboratory, Stanford Univ. Med. Center (2009 - 2010)
• Interim Director, Clinical Virology Lab, SUMC (2008 - 2010)
• Associate Chair of Pathology for Faculty Development, Department of Pathology (2006 - 2009)
• Director, Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, SUMC (1999 - 2009)

Honors and Awards

• Kenneth L. Vosti, M.D. Teaching Award, Stanford Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine (2003)
• BioMerieux Vitek Sonnenwirth Award, American Society for Microbiology (2000)
• Alice C. Evans Award, American Society for Microbiology (1997)
• Fellow, American Academy of Microbiology (1987 - present)
• Fellow, Infectious Diseases Society of America (1992)

Professional Education

Community and International Work

• Diagnostic Microbiology Development Program, Cambodia, Africa, India, Malaysia, others 

Internet Links

• Diagnostic Microbiology Development Program

Current Research Interests

In the Microbiology laboratory, we evaluate cutting-edge new technology for rapid diagnosis of infectious diseases, and we work with high-tech companies to help them develop new diagnostic assays at the pre-market stage. We do not perform basic research and we do not have any fellowship support. Recent work includes development of a rapid PCR-based method for identifying the species of most mycobacteria directly from smear or culture positive material within hours. Another project is showing that hair sheep blood drawn into citrated blood bank bags is equivalent to defibrinated wool sheep blood for diagnostic microbiological testing. This knowledge is important for developing world microbiology laboratories to perform reliable work.

Publications

• A biosensor platform for rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing directly from clinical samples. Mach KE, Mohan R, Baron EJ, Shih MC, Gau V, Wong PK, Liao JC. J Urol. 2011; 185 (1): 148-53
• MRSA: a case of pathogens, politics and penalties. Baron EJ, Lewis H. Trends Microbiol. 2011; 19 (4): 153-5
• Clarification on specimen collection and transportation for intra-abdominal infections. Baron EJ, Sharp SE. Clin Infect Dis. 2010; 51 (6): 759
• Clinical utility of an automated instrument for gram staining single slides. Baron EJ, Mix S, Moradi W. J Clin Microbiol. 2010; 48 (6): 2014-5
• Diagnosis and management of complicated intra-abdominal infection in adults and children: guidelines by the Surgical Infection Society and the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Solomkin JS, Mazuski JE, Bradley JS, Rodvold KA, Goldstein EJ, Baron EJ, O'Neill PJ, Chow AW, Dellinger EP, Eachempati SR, Gorbach S, Hilfiker M, May AK, Nathens AB, Sawyer RG, Bartlett JG. Clin Infect Dis. 2010; 50 (2): 133-64