Degrees

BS: 
(1988) U. of London
King's College, London

PhD: 
(1992) U. of Cambridge
Cambridge, UK

Post-Doctoral Fellowship: 
(1992-95) Pulmonary
U. of North Carolina
Chapel Hill NC

Academic Title:
Research Assistant Professor of Medicine

Office:  7129 Thurston-Bowles
Phone: 919-966-7044
Fax:     919-966-7524
Email:   branston@med.unc.edu

Research Interests:

1. Cell Culture
   The development of in vitro models of human airway epithelium. Primary and cell-line airway epithelial cell culture techniques for human, dog, rat and mouse. Development and characterisation of novel cell-lines by retroviral transformation.
2. In vivo Models
   Development of ex vivo human upper airway epithelium models. Extensive experience of surgery and delivery of vectors to the airways of human excised lung lobes.
3. Vectors
   Production of adenoviral vectors. Production of retroviral vectors for protein overexpression studies. In vitro and in vivo delivery of adenoviral, retroviral and liposomal vectors.
4. Gene Delivery and Gene Transfer Analyses
   A wide range of analyses for delivered DNA (PCR, in situ PCR, immunofluorescent confocal microscopy) and subsequent transgene expression (enzymatic analyses, ELISA, immunohistochemistry, FACS analysis, westerns, ion transport measurement, second messenger measurement).
5. Vector-Cell Interactions
   Classical pharmacological approaches to determine how adenoviruses interact with an in vitro model of respiratory epithelium (radiolabeled virus-receptor studies, immunoprecipitation, in situ PCR). Phage display techniques. Production of targeted vectors with ligand and bispecific antibody approaches.
6. General
   Expertise in lung and airway histological examination. Recombinant protein production and purification. In situ hybridisation. Conventional and confocal microscopy.