Rodney Braun

Position Title

Associate Professor

Biography

Dr. Braun is heavily involved in the medical education mission of the school. He is Course Director of Medical Histology and Embryology, which is part of the Year 1 Medical School curriculum. He teaches a laboratory section and presents lectures in the course. He also contributes a lecture to the Biology of the Eye course (ANA 6050, 7055, PYC 7050, and BIO 6055, 7055). Dr. Braun serves on the School of Medicine Curriculum Committee and Promotions Committee, as well as several associated subcommittees.

Dr. Braun’s research program is currently limited, and he is not taking on graduate students at this time. He is currently collaborating with Dr. Avril Genene Holt, also in the Department of Ophthalmology, Visual and Anatomical Sciences, investigating changes in brain manganese uptake during tinnitus. The major research focus of Dr. Braun's laboratory is the study of blood flow and oxygen transport in tumors, especially tumors growing in the eye. The ultimate goal is to modify tumor oxygenation and blood flow to improve the efficacy of existing treatments. Techniques used in the laboratory include measurement of blood flow with laser Doppler flowmetry, measurement of tissue oxygen levels using oxygen microelectrodes, and imaging of tumors with high frequency ultrasound.

Research Educator, Full time, PhD, Histology and Cell Biology, Embryology

• 1984, Pfizer Award (Outstanding Senior Chemical Engineering Student), Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute, IN
• 1984-1985, General Electric Fellowship, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
• 1986-1987, DAAD Scholarship (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst), Universitat Mainz, Mainz, Germany, Laboratory of Dr. Peter Vaupel
• 1987-1988, Shell Fellowship, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
• 1993-1996, National Research Service Award (NRSA) National Eye Institute, NIH, Duke University Eye Center, Durham, NC
• 2008-2009, Career Development Chair Award, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
• 2013, Kamran S. Moghissi, M.D. Endowed Faculty Award for Excellence in Basic Science Teaching, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI

Publications

• Tkatchenko, TV, Shen, Y, Braun RD, Bawa, G, Kumar, P, Avrutsky, I, Tkatchenko, AV: Photopic visual input is necessary for emmetropization in mice. Exp. Eye Res., 115: 87-95, 2013.
• Chunta, JL, Vistisen, KS, Yazdi, Z, Braun RD: Uptake rate of cationic mitochondrial inhibitor MKT-077 determines cellular oxygen consumption change in carcinoma cells. PLoS ONE, 7: e37471, 2012.
• Braun RD, Vistisen, KS: Modeling human choroidal melanoma xenograft growth in immunocompromised rodents to assess treatment efficacy. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., 53: 2693-2701, 2012.
• Braun RD, Bissig, D, North, R, Vistisen, KS, Berkowitz, BA: Human tumor cell proliferation evaluated using manganese-enhanced MRI. PLoS ONE, 7: e30572, 2012.
• Braun RD, Wienczewski CA, Abbas A: Erythrocyte flow in choriocapillaris of normal and diabetic rats. Microvasc. Res., 77: 247-255, 2009.
• Braun RD, Vistisen KS: Measurement of human choroidal melanoma xenograft volume in rats using high-frequency ultrasound. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., 49: 16-22, 2008.
•  Braun RD, Gradianu M, Vistisen KS, Roberts RL, Berkowitz BA: Manganese-enhanced MRI of human choroidal melanoma xenografts. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 48(3): 963-7, 2007.
• Braun RD, Beatty AL: Modeling of oxygen transport across tumor multicellular layers. Microvasc Res. 73(2):113-23, 2007.

PubMed Link