My research interests are principally concerned with the application of liposomes as a drug delivery or gene delivery system. I am interested in the transport properties of drugs, the required delivery rate for drugs, and how these properties affect the use of drugs for liposome-mediated intracellular delivery. I am also interested in the mechanism by which drug-carrier complexes and gene-carrier complexes interact with cells, their subsequent processing by endocytosis, digestion, and drug transfer from lysosomes to cytoplasm, and the mechanism by which DNA molecules enter the cell and reach the nuclear compartment.

Background: Timothy received his BS degree (1973) in biochemistry from Queen Elizabeth College, London University, U.K., and his PhD (1976) in biochemistry from Charing Cross Hospital Medical School, London University. After two years postdoctoral fellowship at the Chester Beatty Research Institute, London, and six years on the staff of the Cancer Research Institute, University of California-San Francisco, he joined the Wisconsin faculty in 1985. His research interests are in drug delivery and gene delivery systems, including the use of antibody-directed liposomes, the selection of carrier dependent drugs, the development of gene delivery vectors based on cationic lipids, and the application of target specific drug delivery to ocular disease, antitumor and antiviral therapy.

Professional Interests: Drug delivery and gene delivery systems, including the use of antibody-directed liposomes, the selection of carrier dependent drugs, the development of gene delivery vectors based on cationic lipids, and the application of target specific drug delivery to ocular disease, antitumor and antiviral therapy

Education:

• BS 1973 Biochemistry - Queen Elizabeth College, London
• PhD 1976 Biochemistry - Charing Cross Hospital, London
• Postdoctoral - Chester Beatty Research Institute, London

• T.D. Heath, C.S. Brown and J.C. Chan, "Anionic liposomes deliver different liposome dependent drugs to cells with variable efficiency: an explanation based on the optimal timing of drug delivery," J. Liposome Res., 9, 81 (1999).
• I. Solodin, C.S. Brown and T.D. Heath, "Synthesis of phosphotriester cationic phospholipids. Cationic lipids 2," SYNLETT, No. 5, p. 457 (1996).
• C-Y. Chow and T.D. Heath, "Rapid diffusion of the lipid phosphorus of phosphatidylglycerol through polycarbonate membranes is caused by the oxidation of the unsaturated fatty acids," Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 1239, 168 (1995).
• J.-S. Kim and T.D. Heath, "Improved in vitro growth inhibitory effect of N-(phosphonacetyl)-L-aspartic acid in immunoliposomes," J. Controlled Rel., 40, 101 (1996).
• I. Solodin, C.S. Brown, M.S. Bruno, C.-Y. Chow, E-H. Jang, R.J. Debs and T.D. Heath, "A novel series of amphiphilic imidazolinium compounds for in vitro and in vivo gene delivery," Biochemistry, 34, 13537 (1995).