Rate My Professor Michael Brown

Michael S. Brown, M.D., is a Professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics and the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. He holds the Paul J. Thomas Chair in Medicine, the W.A. (Monty) Moncrief Distinguished Chair in Cholesterol and Arteriosclerosis Research, and serves as a Regental Professor. He is also Director of the Erik Jonsson Center for Research in Molecular Genetics and Human Disease. Dr. Brown received a B.A. in Chemistry in 1962 and an M.D. in 1966 from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed an internship and residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and a postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Earl Stadtman at the National Institutes of Health. He joined UT Southwestern in 1971 and was promoted to professor in 1976.

Dr. Brown and his longtime colleague Dr. Joseph L. Goldstein discovered the low-density lipoprotein receptor, which regulates cholesterol levels in blood and cells. Their research demonstrated that mutations in this receptor cause familial hypercholesterolemia, a condition leading to premature heart attacks. This work provided the foundation for the development of statin drugs. Dr. Brown’s research interests include the genetics of human disease, mechanisms of vesicular transport in animal cells, and the regulation of cholesterol metabolism and membrane composition. He received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1985, the U.S. National Medal of Science in 1988, the Albert D. Lasker Prize in Basic Medical Research in 1985, and numerous other honors including the Rolf Luft Prize in 2016 and the Earl and Thressa Stadtman Distinguished Scientist Award in 2011. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine, the Royal Society, and other professional organizations.