Neurodegeneration and Prion Disease

David Brown has worked in the field of prion disease or TSEs for over ten years. He was born in Australia but spent part of his early child-hood in the United Kingdom. After returning to Australia he completes his schooling in Sydney and attended Sydney University. There he completed a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry, a Master of Science degree in neurobiology and a Doctor of Philosophy degree also in Neuroscience. His initial research interests included neuronal growth factors and topographic innervation of toad muscle. Following three years of postdoctoral research, Dr. Brown left Australia in 1994. Since then he has worked in the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, the Department of Neuropathology in Göttingen and the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge. His interest in prion began during his four years researching in Germany. After returning to work in the United Kingdom to work at Cambridge, Dr. Brown established his own independent research group that quickly gained international recognition. In parallel with research focusing on the function of the prion protein and mechanisms of cell death in neurodegeneration, Dr. Brown’s research has also investigated basic aspects of cellular neurobiology including the nature of the interactions between neurones and glial cells. David Brown is currently a Reader in Biochemistry at the University of Bath and his research continues to reap international recognition and acclaim. He is also a member of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee that advises the UK government on issues to do with BSE and variant CJD.