Spirovation's unique model enables our partners to work with world-class academic investigators at UNC's Marsico Lung Institute. This broad-based biomedical research team is organized to provide maximum technical and intellectual support, with a common focus on the rapid “translation” of basic science insights into the clinical patient care arena.
Vice President
Wayne has extensive experience in drug discovery, clinical research, and applied genetics, as well as new drug discovery experience from working at Hoffman-La Roche, Nutley, NJ, as Assistant Research Group Chief, and Ciba Geigy, Basel, Switzerland, as Head of Pulmonary Pharmacology. He gained clinical research experience as Senior Clinical Program Head, Respiratory Clinical Development, at GSK in the Research Triangle Park, NC. As Therapeutic Area Head, Translational Medicine and Genetics at GSK, Wayne developed significant experience utilizing clinical trial and disease cohorts for innovative design and direction of genetic, genomic, and epigenetic analysis in respiratory diseases, including COPD, asthma, and cystic fibrosis. Wayne joined the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care medicine and the Marsico Lung Institute in 2012.
Wayne received his PhD in Pharmacology from the College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, and his MEd in Education from Springfield College, Springfield, MS, where he also earned his BS in Biology.
Internal Scientific Adviser
Ray is an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at the UNC School of Medicine. With over 20 years of experience, Ray has deep expertise in respiratory research. His academic lab focuses on respiratory virus infection of the lung.
Ray received his PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Cambridge and conducted postdoctoral work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Director, Marsico Lung Institute/UNC Cystic Fibrosis Center James C. Moeser Eminent Distinguished Professor of Medicine
Co-Director, UNC Gene Therapy Center
Dr. Boucher’s work has focused on the normal physiology of airway surface liquids (ASL) and how this system fails in airways diseases, e.g., cystic fibrosis and COPD. His lab pursues a variety of investigations into the functions of airway epithelia in health and disease. In general terms, the lab focuses on five interrelated areas of research:
Airway Surface Liquid (ASL) physiology in health and how it fails in major airways diseases, e.g. the “dehydration hypothesis as relates to CF”
Airway epithelial Na+ transport, including studies of normal regulation of airway epithelial Na+ transport, and role of Na+ transport in airways disease, including mouse models over-expressing subunits of the epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC)
Extracellular nucleotides and their role in airways homeostasis, including the role of P2 receptors in airway epithelial function, extracellular nucleotidases, and measuring the rates of metabolism of nucleotides and nucleotide release from cells
Gene therapy for CF lung disease, particularly focusing on investigations of barriers to gene transfer, and improved vector targeting
Clinical studies: a current area of interest focuses on Na+ channel blockers and hypertonic saline
Professor of Pediatrics, Medicine & Microbiology/Immunology, UNC – Chapel Hill
Director of UNC’s Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma, and Lung Biology