Email: thomas_mccown@med.unc.edu

Phone: (919) 966-3081

Education:

B.A., Psychology/Chemistry, Vanderbilt University
Ph.D., Pharmacology/ Neuropharmacology, Vanderbilt University

Research Interests:

My research efforts focus upon the development of effective gene therapies for the treatment of neurological disorders.  This research enterprise ranges from creation of therapeutic specific, novel viral vectors to effective gene therapy treatments for intractable focal epilepsies.

Representative Publications:

1. Gray, S.J., Blake, B.L., Criswell, H.E., Nicolson, S.C., Samulski, R.J., McCown, T.J. Directed evolution of a novel adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector that crosses the seizure compromised blood-brain barrier (BBB).  Molecular Therapy 18:570-578, 2010.
2. McCown, T.J.  The future of epilepsy treatment: focus on adeno-associated vector gene therapy. Drug News and Perspectives 23:281-286,2010.
3. Foti, S., Haberman, R.P., Samulski, R.J., McCown, T.J. Adeno-associated Virus-Mediated Expression and Constitutive Secretion of NPY or NPY13-36 Suppresses Seizure Activity In Vivo. Gene Therapy 14:1534-1536, 2007.
4. McCown, T. J. Adeno-associated virus-mediated expression and constitutive secretion of galanin suppresses limbic seizure activity in vivo. Molecular Therapy 14:63-68, 2006.
5. Haberman, R.P., Samulski, R.J., McCown, T.J. Attenuation of seizures and neuronal death by adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector galanin expression and secretion. Nature Medicine 9:1076-1080, 2003.