Steve Brown is Director of the Medical Research Council’s Mammalian Genetics Unit. He obtained his PhD at the University of Cambridge, and before he joined the MRC, he was Professor of Genetics at Imperial College London. His research interests cover mouse functional genomics, including the use of mouse mutagenesis and phenotyping approaches to study the genetic basis of disease.

A particular focus has been the use of mouse models to elucidate the molecular basis of genetic deafness. With Karen Steel, he discovered myosin VIIA as the gene underlying the shaker-1 mutant — one of the first deafness genes to be identified. More recently, he has studied the genetics of otitis media, a common cause of hearing loss in children, employing mouse models to elaborate the genetic pathways involved and develop novel therapeutic strategies.

He is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, a Member of EMBO, and in 2009 was the recipient of the Genetics Society Medal. He has served on numerous advisory boards and is Chair of the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium Steering Committee.