Michael Brown, M.D. Professor Endowed Title Paul J. Thomas Chair in Medicine; Regental Professor; The W.A. (Monty) Moncrief Distinguished Chair in Cholesterol and Arteriosclerosis Research School Medical School Department Molecular Genetics | Internal Medicine Graduate Programs Biological Chemistry Biography Michael S. Brown received a B.A. degree in Chemistry in 1962 and an M.D. degree in 1966 from the University of Pennsylvania. He was an intern and resident at the Massachusetts General Hospital, and a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Earl Stadtman at the National Institutes of Health. In 1971, he came to UT Southwestern where he rose through the ranks to become a professor in 1976. He is currently Paul J. Thomas Professor of Molecular Genetics and Director of the Jonsson Center for Molecular Genetics at UT Southwestern. Dr. Brown and his long-time colleague, Dr. Joseph L. Goldstein, together discovered the low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor, which controls the level of cholesterol in blood and in cells. They showed that mutations in this receptor cause Familial Hypercholesterolemia, a disorder that leads to premature heart attacks in one out of every 500 people in most populations. They have received many awards for this work, including the U.S. National Medal of Science and the Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology. Education Undergraduate University of Pennsylvania (1962) Medical School University of Pennsylvania (1966) Research Interest Genetics of human disease Mechanism of vesicular transport in animal cells Regulation of cholesterol metabolism and membrane composition Publications Featured Publications Direct Demonstration that Loop1 of Scap Binds to Loop7, a crucial event in cholesterol homeostasis. Zhang Y, Lee KM, Kinch LN, Clark L, Grishin NV, Rosenbaum DM, Brown MS, Goldstein JL, Radhakrishnan A J. Biol. Chem. 2016 Apr A Century of Cholesterol and Coronaries: From Plaques to Genes to Statins. Goldstein JL, Brown MS Cell 2015 Mar 161 1 161-172 Ghrelin O-acyltransferase (GOAT) is essential for growth hormone-mediated survival of calorie-restricted mice. Zhao, T.-J., Liang, G., Li, R.L., Xie, X., Sleeman, M.W., Murphy, A.J., Valenzuela, D.M., Yancopoulos, G.D., Goldstein, J.L., and Brown, M.S. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2010 107 7467-7472 Protein sensors for membrane sterols. Goldstein, J.L., DeBose-Boyd, R.A. and Brown, M.S. Cell 2006 124 35-46 Regulated intramembrane proteolysis: A control mechanism conserved from bacteria to humans. Brown, M.S., Ye, J., Rawson, R.B., and Goldstein, J.L. Cell 2000 100 391-398 The SREBP pathway: Regulation of cholesterol metabolism by proteolysis of a membrane-bound transcription factor. Brown, M.S. and Goldstein, J.L. Cell May 1997 89 331-340 Inhibition of purified p21ras farnesyl: Protein transferase by Cys-AAX tetrapeptides. Reiss, Y., Goldstein, J.L., Seabra, M.C., Casey, P.J., and Brown, M.S. Cell 1990 62 81-88 A receptor-mediated pathway for cholesterol homeostasis. Brown, M.S., and Goldstein, J.L. Science April 1986 232 34-47 Lysosomal cholesterol export reconstituted from fragments of Niemann-Pick C1. Trinh MN, Brown MS, Seemann J, Goldstein JL, Lu F Elife 2018 Jul 7 BHLHE40, a third transcription factor required for insulin induction of SREBP-1c mRNA in rodent liver. Tian J, Wu J, Chen X, Guo T, Chen ZJ, Goldstein JL, Brown MS Elife 2018 Jun 7 Results 1-10 of 32 1 2 3 4 Next Last Honors & Awards Rolf Luft PrizeKarolinska Institute (2016) Earl and Thressa Stadtman Distinguished Scientist AwardAmerican Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (2011) Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research (2003) Warren Alpert Foundation Prize (2000) US National Medal of Science (1988) Albert D. Lasker Prize in Basic Medical Research (1985) Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1985) Professional Associations/Affiliations American Society for Clinical Investigation Association of American Physicians Institute of Medicine Royal Society (London) U.S. National Academy of Sciences
