Professor Geoffrey Brown BSc, PhD, FTLS

Professor Geoff Brown

Department of Biomedical Sciences
Professor (Honorary)

Contact details

Email
g.brown@bham.ac.uk
View my research portal
Address
College of Medicine and Health
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Professor Geoffrey Brown is an expert in haematopoiesis, cancer stem cells, and retinoid biology. He is a partner in the EU-funded Doctoral Network eRaDicate.

Qualifications

  • Professor (Honorary), Institute of Clinical Sciences
  • Fellow of The Lunar Society of Birmingham (FTLS) 2002
  • MA (status) Oxford 1975
  • PhD Tumour Immunology London 1975
  • BSc (Hons) Microbiology London 1972

Biography

Geoffrey received a BSc from Queen Elizabeth College, London, and a PhD from University College (with Prof Sir Mel Greaves), London. Postdoctoral research was at the MRC Immunochemistry Unit (Prof Rodney Porter) and the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine (in Prof Sir David Weatherall’s Department), Oxford. He was also IBM Fellow, University of Oxford and Research Lecturer of the House, Christ Church College. He is a Professor (Honorary), College of Medicine and Health, University of Birmingham. His research (funded by the EU) concerns the development of blood cells and the nature of cancer stem cells.

Geoffrey has published over 170 original research papers in scientific journals and 30 reviews/book chapters in the fields of blood cell development and cancer. In 2009, he edited the book entitled ‘Cell Determination during Hematopoiesis’ which included contributions from principal workers in this field from around the world. In 2016, he co-authored, with Isidro Sanchez-Garcia, the book entitled “Diversity, Versatility and Leukaemia”.

Research

Research interests

Haematopoiesis, cancer stem cells, retinoid biology,the development of novel therapeutics for cancer

Current projects

EU-funded Doctoral Network eRaDicate

Other activities

  • Coordinator and Director of the Marie Curie Initial Training Network DECIDE – Decision-making within cells and differentiation entity therapies, 2013-2017 
  • Consultant to Allergan Pharmaceuticals, Irvine, California, 1998-2004 
  • Co-Director, Leukaemia Research Fund Differentiation Programme, University of Wales College of Medicine, 1996-2000
  • A Founder Member of the Rotary Club of Edgbaston Convention

Publications

Highlight publications

Kutner, A, Brown, G & Kallay, E 2022, 'Novel strategies in the development of new therapies, drug substances, and drug carriers volume I', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 23, no. 12, 6635. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23126635

Brown, G 2022, 'Antagonizing RARγ drives necroptosis of cancer stem cells', Molecular Pharmacology, vol. 23, no. 9, 4814. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23094814

Brown, G 2022, 'The social norm of hematopoietic stem cells and dysregulation in leukemia', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 23, no. 9, 5063. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23095063

Marcinkowska, E & Brown, G 2022, 'Vitamin D and Covid-19: new mechanistic and therapeutic insights', Frontiers in Pharmacology, vol. 13, 882046. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.882046

Brown, G 2022, 'Oncogenes and the origins of leukemias', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 23, no. 4, 2293. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23042293

Recent publications

Article

Fesiuk, A, Pölöske, D, de Araujo, ED, Frere, GA, Wright, TB, Tin, G, Raouf, YS, Olaoye, OO, Park, JS, Blavet, N, Tichý, B, Schlederer, M, Högler, S, Wolf, M, Philippe, C, Aksoy, O, Varady, A, Mata, AM, Varenicja, M, Szabó, B, Weiss, T, Wasinger, G, Redmer, T, Neubauer, HA, Susani, M, Spielvogel, CP, Ning, J, Dahlhoff, M, Schepelmann, M, Kennedy, R, Moriggl, R, Brown, G, Persson, J, Gerner, C, Bystry, V, Hollóczki, O, Heery, DM, Gunning, PT, Merkel, O, Hantusch#, B & Kenner, L 2025, 'Thyroid hormone receptor beta signaling is a targetable driver of prostate cancer growth', Molecular Cancer, vol. 24, no. 1, 256. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12943-025-02451-2

Brown, G 2023, 'Targeting the retinoic acid pathway to eradicate cancer stem cells', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 24, no. 3, 2373. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24032373

Brown, G 2022, 'Hematopoietic and chronic myeloid leukemia stem cells: multi-stability versus lineage restriction', Molecular Biology, vol. 23, no. 21, 13570. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232113570

Editorial

Kutner, A, Brown, G & Kallay, E 2025, 'Special Issue “Novel Strategies in the Development of New Therapies, Drug Substances and Drug Carriers, 3rd Edition”', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 26, no. 19, 9360. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26199360

Brown, G & Liss, A 2024, 'Editorial: Editors’ showcase: insights in cancer cell biology', Frontiers in cell and developmental biology, vol. 12, 1459030. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2024.1459030

Vicente-Dueñas, C, Sanchez-Garcia, I & Brown, G 2023, 'Editorial: Special Issue "Stem Cell Biology and Cancer"', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 24, no. Special Issue, 11533. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241411533

Lee, SB & Brown, G 2023, 'Editorial: Targeted therapies for Aggressive Cancers', Frontiers in cell and developmental biology, vol. 11, 1177266. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2023.1177266

Kutner, A, Brown, G & Kallay, E 2023, 'Novel Strategies in the Development of New Therapies, Drug Substances, and Drug Carriers Volume II', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 24, no. 6, 5621. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24065621

Sanchez-Garcia, I, Vicente-Dueñas, C & Brown, G 2022, 'Editorial: Epigenetic reprogramming and cancer development Vol. II', Frontiers in cell and developmental biology, vol. 9, 823503. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2021.823503

Review article

Powała, K, Żołek, T, Brown, G & Kutner, A 2024, 'Molecular Interactions of Selective Agonists and Antagonists with the Retinoic Acid Receptor γ', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 25, no. 12, 6568. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25126568

Powała, A, Żołek, T, Brown, G & Kutner, A 2024, 'Structure and the Anticancer Activity of Vitamin D Receptor Agonists', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 25, no. 12, 6624. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25126624

Hantusch, B, Kenner, L, Stanulović, VS, Hoogenkamp, M & Brown, G 2024, 'Targeting Androgen, Thyroid Hormone, and Vitamin A and D Receptors to Treat Prostate Cancer', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 25, no. 17, 9245. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25179245

Brown, G 2023, 'Deregulation of All- Trans Retinoic Acid Signaling and Development in Cancer', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 24, no. 15, 12089. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241512089

Brown, G 2023, 'Retinoic acid receptor regulation of decision-making for cell differentiation', Frontiers in cell and developmental biology, vol. 11, 1182204. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2023.1182204

Brown, G 2022, 'Lessons to cancer from studies of leukemia and hematopoiesis', Frontiers in cell and developmental biology, vol. 10, 993915. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2022.993915

View all publications in research portal

Expertise

How blood stem cells are able to generate the many different types of cells that exist in the blood; hematopoietic cells; blood cell development in leukaemia

Alternative contact number available for this expert: contact the press office