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Milton Brown, MD, Ph.D., senior associate vice president for research, has been elected to membership in the Virginia Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine (VASEM). He is the second individual honored by the academy from Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences Eastern Virginia Medical School at 91��Ƭ��.

VASEM is a non-profit, nonpartisan network of leaders in their field who provide rigorous analytical, technical and scientific support to inform policy on issues of critical importance to the state. Dr. Brown — a leading physician/scientist with more than two decades of experience in experimental therapeutics and drug discovery — will be inducted into this exclusive organization September 30 at the group’s annual summit in Alexandria.

“Becoming a VASEM member represents a profound honor and recognition of a lifetime of contributions across scientific disciplines that directly impact human health, medicine, innovation and public good,” said Dr. Brown, who is also the Prudence and Louis Ryan Endowed Chair in Research and tenured professor of medicine.

Alfred Abuhamad, MD, executive vice president for health sciences, said Dr. Brown’s election is well-deserved recognition for him and another example of the type of research that supports 91��Ƭ��’s R1 research status.

“Dr. Brown’s election to VASEM is both a culmination of decades of pioneering work at the interface of translational science and medicine and an affirmation of his visionary leadership in advancing drug discovery, precision medicine and interdisciplinary education,” Dr. Abuhamad said.

Dr. Brown’s unique career path blends synthetic chemistry, medicine, oncology, neuroscience and pharmacology. That cross-cutting expertise and societal commitment dovetails with VASEM’s mission.

His election comes after a career of national and international significance, defined by groundbreaking innovations in experimental therapeutics and the development of “theranostic” agents that integrate treatment and diagnostics within a single compound.

Through his leadership at the University of Virginia, Georgetown University, George Mason University and Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences Eastern Virginia Medical School at 91��Ƭ��, Dr. Brown has demonstrated a sustained commitment to building institutional excellence in science and medicine. He has mentored a generation of scientists and physicians, many of whom now hold impactful roles in academia, industry and government.

His dedication to fostering opportunities for students and trainees in STEM fields reflects the values and broader mission of VASEM to support science and medicine that serves all communities.

Dr. Brown’s work has directly contributed to attracting millions in research funding, establishing biotechnology ventures and commercializing lifesaving innovations.

For instance, he developed a new therapeutic technology that reverses lethal radiation damage when given 24 hours after exposure. The drug will be essential for deep space travel and mitigate accidental/intention radiation poisoning. As part of his current research, Dr. Brown is using a $1.57 million grant from the Department of Defense for the discovery and translation of novel therapeutics to treat BRCA1 breast cancer.

With some 67 issued patents, Dr. Brown is an elected fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.

He has extensive experience advising federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute, Department of Defense and his strategic consultancy with national and international partners. Dr. Brown said his membership in the Virginia Academy offers him a platform to utilize his expertise in fostering multi-institutional collaborations, mentoring future innovators and translating discoveries into public health solutions to help shape science and health policy at the state and national level.

Dr. Brown earned his Ph.D. in synthetic chemistry from the University of Alabama and his MD at the University of Virginia. Following time as tenured chemistry faculty at UVA, Dr. Brown was recruited to serve as inaugural director of the Drug Discovery Program at Georgetown University Medical Center and served as associate director of experimental therapeutics at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.

He later served as deputy director for drug discovery & development at the Inova Schar Cancer Institute and deputy director of the Inova Schar Cancer Center at Inova Center for Personalized Health. In 2020, Dr. Brown joined George Mason University as director of the Center for Drug Discovery for Rare Diseases. He came to then-EVMS in 2022 following a national search for a leading scientist to oversee the institution’s research endeavors.

Dr. Brown joins L.D. Britt, MD, M.P.H., the Brickhouse Chair in Surgery and professor and chair of surgery, as 91��Ƭ��’s other member of VASEM.