Brian Smith

Dr. Brian Smith is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) and serves as Associate Director of the Program in Chemical Biology and the Structural Genomics Unit at the Mellowes Center for Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine. He holds a PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a BS from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on epigenetic signaling pathways, particularly the roles of bromodomain and sirtuin proteins in inflammation-related diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.

Dr. Smith has led groundbreaking work in developing chemical probes and inhibitors targeting BET bromodomains and sirtuins. His lab employs techniques including NMR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, and cellular assays. Key achievements include identifying novel epigenetic readers of histone modifications and demonstrating the therapeutic potential of bromodomain inhibitors in autoimmune diabetes.

Dr. Smith has received notable awards, including NIH R35 and R01 grants, and MCW's Outstanding Faculty Service and Educator awards. His lab has trained numerous graduate students and postdocs, fostering a collaborative environment. Current research emphasizes translating epigenetic discoveries into therapies for metabolic and inflammatory diseases.

Notable grants include a $1.95 million NIH R35 grant for studying tandem bromodomain selectivity and a $1.56 million NIH R01 grant targeting bromodomain inhibition in β-cells. His work bridges basic science and clinical applications, with ongoing projects in drug discovery and epigenetic mechanism elucidation.