David Brown

David Brown is a Professor in the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Bath. His research focuses on proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and prion diseases. He investigates copper-binding prion proteins and their role in cellular oxidative stress, as well as alpha-synuclein’s metal interaction mechanisms.

Current funding includes grants from Alzheimer's Research UK and BRACE for projects on senescent microglia, neurodegeneration models, and metal-binding proteins. These include studies on microglial senescence’s impact on β-amyloid processing and α-synuclein toxicity mechanisms. Brown welcomes PhD candidates and collaborates with industrial partners.

Research employs techniques like isothermal titration calorimetry and EPR spectroscopy to study metal-protein interactions. Major findings include demonstrating the prion protein’s copper-binding role and alpha-synuclein’s iron-reduction activity in cells.

Recent work explores senescent microglia’s role in dementia, showing how these cells induce disease-related changes in β-amyloid and α-synuclein pathways. Brown’s lab also investigates how metal ion dynamics contribute to neurodegenerative pathology.