Our Core Directors

Dr. Branche is an assistant professor at the University of Rochester, School of Medicine. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology at the University of Pennsylvania and Doctorate in Medicine at American University of the Caribbean. She completed residency in Internal Medicine at NYU Lutheran in Brooklyn, NY and infectious disease fellowship at the University of Rochester. She currently has a clinical inpatient practice comprised of both general infectious diseases and HIV medicine patients. Dr. Branche is also a New York State designated HIV/AIDS provider and has a practice comprised of adult patients ages 18 and older at the URMC HIV Clinic.

During her years at the University of Rochester her focus in research involved the use of viral molecular and immunological diagnostic assays to explore the pathogenesis and host response to acute viral respiratory illnesses in adults. She is currently the clinical director of the NIH Center for Excellent in Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS) New York Influenza Center of Excellence (NYICE) and Co-Principle Investigator for the UR Vaccine Treatment and Evaluation Unit (UR VTEU). Her current research activities explore clinical disease, pathogenesis, development of therapeutics and vaccine biology related to infection with viral and bacterial respiratory pathogens. Studies include assessment of asymptomatic carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae and the impact of pneumococcal vaccination, surveillance of epidemic influenza infections and immunologic mechanisms of protection following natural infection versus vaccination, the development of pandemic influenza vaccines, population-based studies of RSV infection and the development of vaccine and anti-viral agents for RSV. Current efforts also include the study of the pathogenesis and immune response to pandemic SARS Coronavirus 2 infections and clinical interventional trials for the development of COVID19 therapeutic agents and vaccines. She is a member of the Infectious Disease Society of America and the NIH Human Cohorts Steering Committee and NIH IDCRC Emerging Infectious Expert Working Group. Dr. Branche has published several peer-reviewed articles, reviews and book chapters related to respiratory viral pathogens in adults.

Dr Falsey is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine. The focus of her research has been clinical and translational research in the field of respiratory viral infections in adults. Dr Falsey received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at Providence College and Doctorate in Medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Strong Memorial Hospital at the University of Rochester and infectious disease fellowship at Yale University and the University of Rochester. Initially the focus of her research was defining the epidemiology and impact of respiratory syncytial virus in adult populations. More recently, Dr Falsey has broadened her research to include numerous viral respiratory pathogens including influenza, coronaviruses, parainfluenza viruses and human metapneumovirus. She has conducted numerous adult surveillance and vaccine studies in a variety of settings including ambulatory older adult clinics, nursing homes and senior daycare centers. She has extensive experience in the development and performance of diagnostic and serologic assays for influenza and other respiratory viruses including cell culture, RT-PCR, EIA and neutralization assays. Dr Falsey has been a standing member of the Clinical Studies and Field Research Study Section and has served as an ad hoc reviewer for numerous NIH study section reviews. She is a member of the steering committee for the Global Influenza Initiative, the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American Virology Society. Dr Falsey has published over 200 peer reviewed articles, reviews, book chapters and abstracts.