Stephen Brown, Ph.D.

Stephen Brown thought he was headed for a career in medicine, but the scientific arena pulled him away. "I gain a great deal of satisfaction from addressing the bigger questions that affect the human condition," Steve explains.

A curious sort, Steve received his doctorate in cell, molecular, and developmental biology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), in June 1999. Earlier, he worked as a research assistant studying immunology in the biology department of California Institute of Technology and taught molecular biology and genetics at UCLA.

While he was exploring his options in the field of microbiology, Steve received an offer from Dr. Andy Groves at HEI's newly opened Section on Molecular Development. "I was pleased to be accepted to a post-doctoral fellowship at the House Ear Institute because it offered me a chance to learn a new sub-field and techniques," Steve says. "Andy is right at the cutting edge of the molecular development field and, because his research objectives seem attainable during my projected tenure here, I realized this was a wonderful opportunity to learn developmental biology."

Developmental biologists need to know how a normal ear develops in order to understand where and how hearing loss occurs. One of Steve's projects is to examine the genes involved in the earliest stages of inner ear development, many of which have yet to be isolated and have their function characterized.

And his mentor is pleased with his work so far. Says Dr. Groves, "Steve is an accomplished molecular biologist and has been absolutely instrumental in moving our research program forward in the past year. His work is providing valuable new insights into how the inner ear develops in normal and hearing-impaired individuals."

Like his colleague, BomJun, Steve is also attracted to teaching, a desire he indulged last summer as a volunteer at HEI's Family Camp. "It is so satisfying to take what I know and communicate it in such a way that someone else learns and understands," he notes.

Andy Groves, Ph.D. (left), and Stephen Brown, Ph.D.