Samuel McBrayer

Samuel McBrayer is an Assistant Professor at the Children's Medical Center Research Institute (CRI) at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He specializes in cancer biology, focusing on metabolic mechanisms driving tumor formation, particularly in brain tumors. His research integrates genetic engineering, organoid models, and metabolomics to uncover vulnerabilities in IDH-mutant gliomas.

• Education: BA in Biochemistry (Baylor University), PhD in Cancer Biology (Northwestern University).
• Postdoctoral Training: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School (Kaelin Lab).

Research interests include metabolic reprogramming in glioma, synthetic lethality in cancer, and developing therapies targeting metabolic dependencies. Key projects involve IDH1 mutation-driven gliomagenesis and organoid-based precision oncology.

Recent work highlights discoveries in pyrimidine biosynthesis vulnerabilities (Cancer Cell 2022) and immune activation via IDH inhibition (Science 2024). Awards include NCI grants and CPRIT funding ($2M+ in 2025).

• Lab Members: 18 current trainees including MD/PhD students, postdocs, and research associates.
• Key Collaborations: Dana-Farber, Harvard, and UT Southwestern departments.

Future directions focus on translating metabolic insights into clinical therapies for glioma patients.