Pediatrics

Training

• Postdoctoral Fellow, Johns Hopkins University
• Intern and Resident, Johns Hopkins Hospital
• M.D., University of Illinois
• Ph.D., University of Illinois
• B.S., Denison University

Research Overview

Barry Byrne's research is aimed at understanding types of inherited muscle disease, which lead to heart and skeletal muscle dysfunction. Current research focus is aimed to help those affected by Pompe Disease, an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disease, and Barth Syndrome, an chromosomal X-linked defect.

Byrne and colleagues are taking two approaches to the problem. The first approach is vector replacement using rAAV, a recombinant virus vector constructed from adeno associated virus (AAV). Second, the Byrne lab is using protein-replacement therapy in an effort to treat deficiencies caused by genetic disorders with specific supplementation.

About

Dr. Byrne is a Pediatric Cardiologist clinician and Associate chair of the Congenital Heart Center at UF. He is a professor in pediatrics and molecular genetics and is currently the director of the University of Florida Powell Gene Therapy Center. His research is aimed to help those affected by genetic muscular diseases and he is currently the PI on multiple clinical trials for this effort. His primary involvement lies with disorders such as Pompe, Barth, muscular dystrophy, and the associated cardiomyopathy of these diseases. Dr. Byrne obtained his B.S. from Denison University in Ohio, his M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, and completed his residency and fellowship training at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. He was an Assistant Professor at Hopkins after completing his training before coming to the University of Florida in 1997.

Key Publications

Found at Pubmed: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez under "Byrne BJ"[Author]

Other Activities

A group of climbers has been assembled by the CureDuchenne Foundation (Foundation website: http://www.ryansquest.org/) for an event this August called the 2009 Climb to Cure Duchenne. The event is to raise awareness and research funding for muscular dystrophy. We are going to climb Mt. Rainier and aim to raise $1/ft of the mountain. Please visit my page for more information and show your support of this effort by making a donation: http://www.firstgiving.com/barrybyrne