Insights from

Nobel Laureates, for scientists everywhere

Michael Brown

Michael Brown

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 moved to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, 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 US National Medal of Science and the 1985 Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology.

How does it feel to make a discovery?
Joseph Goldstein and Michael Brown

How does it feel to make a discovery?

What makes a good research question?
Joseph Goldstein and Michael Brown

What makes a good research question?

What makes a good paper?
Joseph Goldstein and Michael Brown

What makes a good paper?

What inspires you about science?
Joseph Goldstein and Michael Brown

What inspires you about science?

Is competition a problem?
Joseph Goldstein and Michael Brown

Is competition a problem?

How do you stay positive when things go wrong?
Michael Brown

How do you stay positive when things go wrong?

Is it important to discuss your work with other scientists?
Joseph Goldstein and Michael Brown

Is it important to discuss your work with other scientists?

What do you look for in job applications?
Joseph Goldstein and Michael Brown

What do you look for in job applications?

Do results ever surprise you?
Michael Brown

Do results ever surprise you?

How do you choose the right lab to work in?
Joseph Goldstein and Michael Brown

How do you choose the right lab to work in?

What did your early mentors teach you?
Joseph Goldstein and Michael Brown

What did your early mentors teach you?

Do you find problems you can’t yet solve?
Joseph Goldstein and Michael Brown

Do you find problems you can’t yet solve?

Why is a partnership so rewarding?
Joseph Goldstein and Michael Brown

Why is a partnership so rewarding?

Do scientists need to work long hours?
Joseph Goldstein and Michael Brown

Do scientists need to work long hours?

How certain should you be before you publicise a new discovery?
Joseph Goldstein and Michael Brown

How certain should you be before you publicise a new discovery?