Ernest Muir was born in Scotland in 1880. He began working as a medical missionary in Bengal in 1908. From 1920 he worked in Calcutta and was closely associated with BELRA after its inauguration in 1924. He became medical secretary of BELRA and travelled widely in the interest of leprosy. At one time he was also the associate editor of the International Journal of Leprosy and secretary-treasurer and honorary vice-president of the International Leprosy Association (ILA).

Dr Muir published many papers on aspects of leprosy, including its treatment.

International Journal of Leprosy, Centennial Festskrift edition, Vol 41, No 2. 1973.

Research Institute(s) associated with:
Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine, Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, India (currently Calcutta, West Bengal, India)
"The Annual Sanitation Report of 1920 states that under the auspices of the Indian Research Fund Association, “Dr Muir is engaged at the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine in carrying out an inquiry into leprosy with an allotment of Rs 20 000 a year of which Rs 10 000 will be donated by the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine.
In 1921, Muir’s research on Chaulmoogra continued in collaboration with Major R B Lloyd IMS. In 1928, Muir was training doctors in leprosy work in Calcutta. Muir's activities extended to training assistants in Bengal and Bihar for dispensary work. In the article ""The Campaign in Bengal"" in Leprosy Notes 3(1928): 29-30, Muir describes the appointment of five survey officers for five years in the Bengal Presidency. In 1929 Muir was advocating PTS (propaganda, treatment and survey) as the approach to leprosy control."
Leprosy Research Institute Unit, Uzuakoli, Eastern Nigeria, Nigeria
Muir wrote a report on Uzuakoli c 1939.