Professor Guy Brown is a distinguished Cellular Biochemist and leading authority on microglial function in brain health and disease. He currently serves as Professor of Cellular Biochemistry in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge where he leads a research laboratory focused on neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. After receiving his PhD from the Cambridge Biochemistry Department in 1986, he held a College Research Fellowship at St Catharine's College for three years before moving to University College London. His career trajectory saw him transition from a position in the Department of Physiology to a Royal Society Research Fellowship at UCL's Biochemistry Department, culminating in his return to Cambridge in 1994 where he has established himself as a central figure in the field of neuroscience.
Professor Brown's groundbreaking research has fundamentally transformed our understanding of microglial phagocytosis in neurodegenerative diseases, with his work revealing that inflamed microglia can actively phagocytose live neurons, a phenomenon he terms "neurophagy." His seminal 2018 publication in FEBS Journal describing this process has reshaped the field's perspective on mechanisms of neuronal loss in conditions like Alzheimer's disease. With approximately 200 scientific publications and an impressive h-index of around 90, his research has been extensively cited with a total of over 45,000 citations according to Google Scholar. His discovery that the P2Y6 receptor is required for microglial phagocytosis of neurons has opened new therapeutic avenues, demonstrating that inhibition or knockout of this receptor can prevent neuronal loss in both cellular and mouse models of neurodegeneration.
Beyond his laboratory discoveries, Professor Brown has significantly influenced the field through his authoritative textbooks including "Mitochondrial Function" for scientists and "The Energy of Life," which won the Wellcome Trust Prize for science writing. His laboratory has trained numerous postdoctoral scientists who have gone on to establish successful careers in academia and industry across multiple countries, creating a global network of researchers advancing his scientific legacy. Current research in his group continues to explore the intricate relationship between neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, with particular focus on developing strategies to prevent excessive microglial phagocytosis of neurons and synapses. As the field increasingly recognizes the importance of neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases, Professor Brown's work remains at the forefront of developing novel therapeutic approaches that could potentially slow or halt the progression of conditions like Alzheimer's disease.
