Dr. Brand's research focuses on changes in epithelial barrier function and immune responses resulting from human behaviors and environmental factors. Originally, her research was focused on the skin and included studies in epithelial-related disorders induced by alcohol abuse, exposure to excessive levels of UV and ionizing radiation and agricultural chemicals. A collaboration with Dr. Ian McGowan led to a shift of emphasis to the colorectal epithelial barrier and immune function. After Dr. McGowan's departure from the University of Pittsburgh, she has expanded the mucosal toolbox developed to support the mucosal pathogenesis of HIV infection to include immunological changes in the gut mucosa in GI-related diseases, including IBD and Lynch Syndrome. Through collaborations Drs. Yang Liu, Beverly Moore, Randall Brand and Marc Schwartz, an operationally efficient program has been developed to facilitate procurement of fresh human samples for the study of the mucosal pathogenesis of IBD and to screen therapeutics for the treatment of IBD. These collaborations have resulted in multiple co-publications.
- PhD, University of Michigan, 1992
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of California San Francisco, 1994
Education & Training
Thompson B, Else LJ, Dickinson L, Edick S, Zyhowski A, Ho K, Meyn L, Dilly-Penchala S, Shaw V, McGowan I, Khoo S, Brand RM. Pharmacokinetics of Dolutegravir, nucleoside analogues, and intracellular metabolites using plasma separation cards: A comparative analysis with traditional sampling methods in healthy volunteers. PLoS One. 2026 Jan 23;21(1):e0341252. PMID: 41575922.
Else LJ, Dickinson L, Edick S, Zyhowski A, Ho K, Meyn L, Dilly-Penchala S, Thompson B, Shaw V, Khoo S, Brand RM. Tenofovir, emtricitabine, lamivudine and dolutegravir concentrations in plasma and urine following drug intake cessation in a randomized controlled directly observed pharmacokinetic trial to aid point-of-care testing. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2024 Jul 1;79(7):1597-1605. PMID: 38758205.
Myerski A, Siegel A, Engstrom J, McGowan I, Brand RM. The Use of Droplet Digital PCR to Quantify HIV-1 Replication in the Colorectal Explant Model. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 2019 Mar;35(3):326-334. PMID: 30618283.
Janocko L, Althouse AD, Brand RM, Cranston RD, McGowan I. The Molecular Characterization of Intestinal Explant HIV Infection Using Polymerase Chain Reaction-Based Techniques. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 2015 Oct;31(10):981-91. PMID: 26214703; PMCID: PMC4576939.
Brand RM, Stottlemyer JM, Cline RA, Donahue C, Behari J, Falo LD Jr. Skin Immunization Obviates Alcohol-Related Immune Dysfunction. Biomolecules. 2015 Nov 6;5(4):3009-28. PMID: 26561838.
McGowan I, Cranston RD, Mayer KH, Febo I, Duffill K, Siegel A, Engstrom JC, Nikiforov A, Park SY, Brand RM, Jacobson C, Giguere R, Dolezal C, Frasca T, Leu CS, Schwartz JL, Carballo-Diéguez A. Project Gel a Randomized Rectal Microbicide Safety and Acceptability Study in Young Men and Transgender Women. PLoS One. 2016 Jun 30;11(6):e0158310. PMID: 27362788.
- President, The Collaborative Group of the Americas on Inherited Colorectal Cancer (CGA-ICC), 2020
- Pittsburgh Best Doctors 2021-22 (Pittsburgh Magazine & Castle Connolly), 2021
R01 AI154549, Acceptable Multi-user Biodegradable Extended Release (AMBER) Implant System for HIV Prevention, Co-I, 2020-2026.
HPTN 106, A phase 2 crossover study of on-demand prep formulations comparing rectal and oral tenofovir-based prep evaluating extended safety, acceptability, and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics, Site PI, 2024-2027.
