Nancy J. Brown

Dr. Nancy J. Brown is the Jean and David W. Wallace Dean of Yale School of Medicine. She is also the C.N.H. Long Professor of Internal Medicine. Prior to assuming the role of dean at Yale, Dr. Brown served as the Chair of the Department of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center from 2010 to 2020. Dr. Brown’s NIH-funded research focuses on cardiovascular pharmacology and vascular biology in humans. She is particularly interested in understanding the mechanisms of action of anti-hypertensive and anti-diabetic drugs that are peptidase inhibitors, including the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors and neprilysin inhibitors. Her group has elucidated how these drugs decrease inflammation, enhance fibrinolysis (the breakdown of blood clots), and improve glucose homeostasis, but also how they interact with one another and sometimes cause side effects. This understanding of mechanisms leads to optimizing outcomes in patients with hypertension and diabetes. Dr. Brown has also been a national leader in the development of infrastructure to promote the career success of physician-scientists. Dr. Brown received her A. B. in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale and her M.D. from Harvard Medical School. She completed her clinical training and a fellowship in clinical pharmacology at Vanderbilt University. Dr Brown is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation, the Association of American Physicians, the National Academy of Medicine, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is a Master of the American College of Physicians. Dr. Brown serves on the visiting committee for Harvard Medical School and the External Advisory Board for the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology program. She is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals.