Michael Brown

In 1985, Michael S. Brown, M.D., won the Nobel Prize in Medicine, as well as the Albert Lasker Basic Research Award, the highest honor in American medicine. Dr. Brown, along with his colleague, Dr. Joseph L. Goldstein, was honored discovering the basic mechanisms controlling cholesterol metabolism. His discoveries have opened the way to new treatments for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death and disability in the Western world. Brown and his colleague discovered a protein, called the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor, that controls the transfer of cholesterol from the blood to other cells in the body. After discovering and isolating the protein, they located the gene responsible for LDL receptor production, and identified the specific mutations that account for an inherited high risk for atherosclerosis, the buildup of fat deposits in the blood vessels that leads to heart attacks and strokes. They further determined that reducing dietary intake of cholesterol and animal fats can reduce this risk. In this podcast, recorded at the 2006 International Achievement Summit in Los Angeles, California, Dr. Michael S. Brown tells the Academy's student delegates that heart disease is totally preventable. He discusses the steps that individuals, physicians, government and drug companies can take today. He also extols the value of partnership in research and other forms of endeavor.