Department of Medicine
Faculty Profiles by Division

Department of Medicine

Faculty Profiles
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photo Rhonda Metter Brand, PhD

Gastroenterology

Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine

Email: rmb91@pitt.edu

Phone: 412-648-3399
Contact
Office: Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition - Magee Womens Hospital of UPMC
McGowan Research Lab - 300 Halket Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
 
Phone: 412-648-3399
Fax: 412-648-9731
E-mail: rmb91@pitt.edu
Education and Training
Education
PhD, University of Michigan, 1992
Training
Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of California San Francisco, 1994
Research Interest
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.
Publications
For my complete bibliography, Click Here.
Selected Publications:
Janocko, L., Althouse, A.D., Brand, R.M., Cranston, R.D., McGowan, I. The Molecular Characterization of Intestinal Explant HIV Infection Using Polymerase Chain Reaction-Based Techniques. AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses. 2015; 31(10): 981-91.
Brand, R.M., Stottlemyer, J.M., Cline, R.A., Donahue, C., Behari, J., Falo, L.D. Jr. Skin Immunization Obviates Alcohol-Related Immune Dysfunction. Biomolecules. 2015; 5(4): 3009-28.
McGowan, I., Cranston, R.D., Mayer, K.H., Febo, I., Duffill, K., Siegel, A., Engstrom, J.C., Nikiforov, A., Park, S.Y., Brand, R.M, Jacobson, C., Giguere, R., Dolezal, C., Frasca, T., Leu, C.S., Schwartz, J.L., Carballo-Dieguez, A. Project Gel a Randomized Rectal Microbicide Safety and Acceptability Study in Young Men and Transgender Women. PLoS One. 2016; 11(6): e0158310.
Sponsored Research/Activities
Title: Long-Acting Prevention Implantable System (LAPIS)
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: Research Triangle Institute International / National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases
Grant Number: R01 A152713
Start Year: 2021
End Year: 2022
Notable Achievements
Pittsburgh Best Doctors 2021-22 (Pittsburgh Magazine & Castle Connolly), 2021
President, The Collaborative Group of the Americas on Inherited Colorectal Cancer (CGA-ICC), 2020

Division Websites

Cardiology

Endocrinology and Metabolism

Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

General Internal Medicine

Geriatric Medicine
Hematology/Oncology

Infectious Diseases

Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine

Renal-Electrolyte

Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology

Contact

Department of Medicine
1218 Scaife Hall
3550 Terrace Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Email:  chairoff@pitt.edu
Phone:  412-648-9636
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