Isaac Brownell, M.D., Ph.D.

Senior Investigator

Cutaneous Development and Carcinogenesis Section

NIAMS

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Building 10, Room 12N240C
10 Center Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892

301-480-7191

isaac.brownell@nih.gov

Research Topics

Dr. Brownell studies the regulation of cutaneous stem cells and the molecular pathogenesis of skin cancer. A major research focus is the biology of neuroendocrine Merkel cells and the oncogenesis of Merkel cell carcinoma. Using mouse genetics, his laboratory investigates the signaling pathways that regulate skin stem cell development and maintenance. His research also uses preclinical models to study therapeutic targets identified using oncogenomic analyses of human skin tumors, high-throughput drug screening, and functional genomic screens. Leveraging data from clinical registries and databases, Dr. Brownell investigates the biology and management of high-risk skin cancers. In collaboration with National Cancer Institute oncologists, Dr. Brownell conducts early-phase clinical trials and studies the dermatologic complications of cancer and cancer therapy.

Biography

Isaac Brownell, M.D., Ph.D., is a board-certified dermatologist specializing in cutaneous oncology and oncodermatology. He directs a research program encompassing basic, translational, and clinical investigations of skin homeostasis and skin cancer. Dr. Brownell is an attending physician on the NIH Clinical Center's Dermatology Consultation Service, and he co-directs the Cutaneous Oncology Program at the Murtha Cancer Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He is also an Adjunct Investigator at the National Cancer Institute's Center for Immuno-Oncology.

Selected Publications

  1. Gelb T, Garman KA, Urban D, Coxon A, Gryder B, Hill NT, Miao L, Lee T, Lee O, Chakka S, Braisted J, Jarvis JE, Glavin R, Raj TS, Xiao Y, Difilippantonio S, Wang AQ, Shen M, Cheng KC, Lal-Nag M, Hall MD, Brownell I. High-throughput screening identifies Aurora kinase B as a critical therapeutic target for Merkel cell carcinoma. Nat Commun. 2025;16(1):1583.
  2. Miao L, Milewski D, Coxon A, Gelb T, Garman KA, Porch J, Khanna A, Collado L, Hill NT, Daily K, Vilasi S, Reed D, Alexander T, Starrett GJ, Chakraborty M, Song Y, Choi R, Gangalapudi V, Seaman J, Morton A, Busam KJ, Vakoc CR, Urban DJ, Shen M, Hall MD, Sallari R, Khan J, Gryder BE, Brownell I. Interlocking host and viral cis-regulatory networks drive Merkel cell carcinoma. J Clin Invest. 2025;135(24).
  3. Mohsin N, Hunt D, Yan J, Jabbour AJ, Nghiem P, Choi J, Zhang Y, Freeman AF, Bergerson JRE, Dell'Orso S, Lachance K, Kulikauskas R, Collado L, Cao W, Lack J, Similuk M, Seifert BA, Ghosh R, Walkiewicz MA, Brownell I. Genetic Risk Factors for Early-Onset Merkel Cell Carcinoma. JAMA Dermatol. 2024;160(2):172-178.
  4. Kaufman HL, Russell J, Hamid O, Bhatia S, Terheyden P, D'Angelo SP, Shih KC, Lebbé C, Linette GP, Milella M, Brownell I, Lewis KD, Lorch JH, Chin K, Mahnke L, von Heydebreck A, Cuillerot JM, Nghiem P. Avelumab in patients with chemotherapy-refractory metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma: a multicentre, single-group, open-label, phase 2 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2016;17(10):1374-1385.
  5. Xiao Y, Thoresen DT, Williams JS, Wang C, Perna J, Petrova R, Brownell I. Neural Hedgehog signaling maintains stem cell renewal in the sensory touch dome epithelium. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015;112(23):7195-200.

Related Scientific Focus Areas

This page was last updated on Thursday, September 10, 2026