image: Brian Brown, PhD, Director of the Icahn Genomics Institute at Mount Sinai, has been elected to the AIMBE College of Fellows for his pioneering contributions to gene therapy and functional genomics, recognized as one of the highest honors in medical and biological engineering.
Credit: Mount Sinai Health System
New York, NY [March 31, 2025] — Brian Brown, PhD, Director of the Icahn Genomics Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, has been elected to the College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). He was honored for his seminal work in gene therapy and functional genomics, which has helped transform the fields and contributed to key advancements in medicine and biotechnology.
Election to the AIMBE College of Fellows is one of the highest professional distinctions in the field. It recognizes the top two percent of experts in medical and biological engineering, and its members are celebrated for their exceptional work in the field.
Members are honored for their outstanding contributions to "engineering and medicine research, practice, or education” and to "the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology." Dr. Brown’s election recognizes his groundbreaking work developing innovative technologies that have been broadly used across biomedical fields, including in cancer, immunology, and genetic disease research and therapeutic development.
He joins an esteemed group of Fellows, including Nobel laureates and recipients of the Presidential Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. This recognition further underscores Mount Sinai's leadership in advancing cutting-edge biomedical research.
“We are enormously proud of Brian for this well-deserved recognition from the AIMBE College of Fellows. His pioneering contributions to gene therapy and functional genomics are propelling the frontiers of precision medicine and transformative patient care,” says Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and President for Academic Affairs of the Mount Sinai Health System. “This prestigious honor reflects his exceptional leadership and the innovative work being done at the Icahn Genomics Institute. At Mount Sinai, we remain committed to fostering innovation that translates into meaningful improvements in patient outcomes, and Brian’s accomplishments are a shining example of this mission in action.”
Dr. Brown is also Vice Chair of the Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy and Associate Director of the Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute
and Mount Sinai Professor of Genetic Engineering at Mount Sinai. A distinguished immunologist and molecular biologist, he has developed several key technologies. This includes synthetic microRNA target sites for cell-specific control of gene, virus, and RNA drugs, macrophage-targeting CAR T cells for cancer therapy, and bispecific antibody-coupled lipid nanoparticles for precision mRNA delivery.
His lab has also invented many novel functional genomics technologies, including genome-wide microRNA sensor libraries, high-scale protein barcode technology (Pro-Code), and the first spatial functional genomics platform (Perturb-map), which is a breakthrough for CRISPR screening by enabling single-cell and spatial analysis. These innovations are helping to shape the future of genomic research and personalized medicine. In addition to his visionary work in gene therapy and functional genomics, Dr. Brown has made significant contributions to our understanding of immune cell biology and tumor immunity.
“I am deeply honored to be inducted into the AIMBE College of Fellows. The major advances we are seeing in medicine and science are thanks to the technological advances made by this incredible group of innovators,” says Dr. Brown. “This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of my exceptional lab and the outstanding researchers at the Icahn Genomics Institute. Together, we are committed to advancing new disease treatments, and I am grateful to be part of a community that is making meaningful contributions to medicine. We will continue pushing the boundaries of science and technology, with the ultimate goal of improving patient outcomes and transforming health care.”
Dr. Brown was inducted into the 2025 Class of Fellows during a formal ceremony today at the AIMBE Annual Event in Arlington, Virginia.
AIMBE Fellows are among the most distinguished medical and biological engineers including four Nobel Prize laureates and 27 Presidential Medal of Science and/or Technology and Innovation awardees. Additionally, 233 Fellows have been inducted into the National Academy of Engineering, 120 into the National Academy of Medicine, and 51 into the National Academy of Sciences.
About AIMBE
AIMBE is the authoritative voice and advocate for the value of medical and biological engineering to society. AIMBE’s mission is to recognize excellence, advance public understanding, and accelerate medical and biological innovation. No other organization brings together academic, industry, government, and scientific societies to form a highly influential community advancing medical and biological engineering. AIMBE’s mission drives advocacy initiatives into action on Capitol Hill and beyond.
About the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is internationally renowned for its outstanding research, educational, and clinical care programs. It is the sole academic partner for the eight- member hospitals* of the Mount Sinai Health System, one of the largest academic health systems in the United States, providing care to New York City’s large and diverse patient population.
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai offers highly competitive MD, PhD, MD-PhD, and master’s degree programs, with enrollment of more than 1,200 students. It has the largest graduate medical education program in the country, with more than 2,600 clinical residents and fellows training throughout the Health System. Its Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences offers 13 degree-granting programs, conducts innovative basic and translational research, and trains more than 500 postdoctoral research fellows.
Ranked 11th nationwide in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is among the 99th percentile in research dollars per investigator according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. More than 4,500 scientists, educators, and clinicians work within and across dozens of academic departments and multidisciplinary institutes with an emphasis on translational research and therapeutics. Through Mount Sinai Innovation Partners (MSIP), the Health System facilitates the real-world application and commercialization of medical breakthroughs made at Mount Sinai.
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* Mount Sinai Health System member hospitals: The Mount Sinai Hospital; Mount Sinai Beth Israel; Mount Sinai Brooklyn; Mount Sinai Morningside; Mount Sinai Queens; Mount Sinai South Nassau; Mount Sinai West; and New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai.