Matthew Brown, BS: Biological Scientist II » Matthew Brown, BS » Brusko Laboratory » College of Medicine

Matthew Brown - 6/23/2024

Matthew joined Dr. Todd Brusko’s laboratory in the summer of 2019 as a first-year undergraduate student to study the autoimmune response that leads to the destruction of pancreatic beta cells in type 1 diabetes (T1D). After graduating from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology in 2022, Matthew was appointed as a Biological Scientist in the Brusko Lab to continue improving regulatory T cell (Treg) adoptive cellular therapy, developing deliverable biological treatment strategies, and evaluating the roles of T1D candidate genes in disease pathogenesis.

Beginning in July 2025, Matthew will further his training with the University of Florida MD/PhD training program. In collaboration with the laboratories of Dr. Todd Brusko and Dr. Holger Russ, his research will focus on 1) advancing immunomodulatory agents that suppress T cell autoimmunity and 2) augmenting the immunoprotection of stem cell-derived pancreatic beta cells, together, as a combination therapy approach aimed at restoring immune tolerance in individuals with T1D.

Publications

Shapiro MR, Tallon EM, Brown ME, Posgai AL, Clements MA, Brusko TM. (2024). Leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to Accelerate Discovery of Disease-Modifying Therapies in Type 1 Diabetes. Diabetologia. doi: 10.1007/s00125-024-06339-6
Brown, ME*, Thirawatananond P*, Peters LD, Kern EJ, Vijay S, Sachs LK, Posgai AL, Brusko MA, Shapiro MR, Mathews CE, Brusko, TM. (2024). Inhibition of CD226 Co-Stimulation Suppresses Diabetes Development in the NOD Mouse by Augmenting Regulatory T Cells and Diminishing Effector T Cell Function. Diabetologia. doi: 10.1007/s00125-024-06329-8
Thirawatananond P*, Brown ME*, Sachs LK, Arnoletti JM, Yeh WI, Posgai AL, Shapiro MR, Chen YG, Brusko TM. (2023). Deletion of CD226 in Foxp3⁺ T cells Reduces Diabetes Incidence in Non-Obese Diabetic Mice by Improving Regulatory T Cell Stability and Function. Diabetes. doi: 10.1101/2022.06.02.494443
Shapiro MR, Peters LD, Brown ME, Cabello-Kindelan C, Posgai AL, Bayer AL, Brusko TM. (2023). Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 Synergizes with IL-2 to Induce Homeostatic Proliferation of Regulatory T Cells. Journal of Immunology. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.2200651
Peters LD, Yeh WI, Arnoletti JM, Brown ME, Posgai AL, Mathews CE, and Brusko TM. (2023). Modeling Cell-Mediated Immunity in Human Type 1 Diabetes by Engineering Autoreactive CD8⁺ T cells. Front. Immunol. 14:1142648. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1142648
Brown ME, Peters LD, Hanbali SR, Arnoletti JM, Sachs LK, Nguyen KQ, Carpenter EB, Seay HR, Fuhrman CA, Posgai AL, Shapiro MR, and Brusko TM. (2022). Human CD4⁺CD25⁺CD226^– Tregs Demonstrate Increased Purity, Lineage Stability, and Suppressive Capacity Versus CD4⁺CD25⁺CD127^lo/- Tregs for Adoptive Cell Therapy. Front. Immunol. 13:873560. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.873560
Sharp RC*, Brown ME*, Shapiro MR, Posgai AL and Brusko TM. (2021). The Immunoregulatory Role of the Signal Regulatory Protein Family and CD47 Signaling Pathway in Type 1 Diabetes. Front. Immunol. 12:739048. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.739048

Presentations

Brown ME, Barra JM, Pina MR, Proia J, Brusko TM, and Russ HA. Mutant CD155 Expressing Human Stem Cell-Derived Pancreatic Beta Cells Demonstrate Enhanced Protection from Killing by Antigen-Specific T cells. Oral Abstract & Poster presented at: Network for Pancreatic Organ Donors (nPOD) 2025 Annual Meeting; 2025 Mar 2-5; Clearwater, FL.
Brown ME, Thirawatananond P, Peters LD, Kern EJ, Vijay S, Sachs LK, Posgai AL, Brusko MA, Shapiro MR, Mathews CE, Bacher R, and Brusko TM. Inhibition of CD226 Co-Stimulation Suppresses Diabetes Development in the NOD Mouse by Augmenting Tregs and Diminishing Effector T Cell Function. Poster presented at: 20th Congress of the Immunology of Diabetes Society (IDS); 2024 Nov 4-8; Bruges, Belgium.
Brown ME. Enhancing Treg Therapies for T1D. Invited talk delivered at: American Diabetes Association (ADA), 84th Scientific Sessions; June 21-24, 2024. Orlando, FL.
Brown ME, Thirawatananond P, Kern EJ, Vijay S, Sachs LK, Nguyen KQ, Lahde CC, Shah AA, Shapiro MR, Brusko TM. Antibody Blockade of CD226 Decreases Diabetes Incidence in the NOD Mouse by Augmenting Treg Suppressive Capacity & Diminishing T Cell Cytotoxicity. Poster presented at: 19th Congress of the Immunology of Diabetes Society (IDS); 2023 May 23-27; Paris, France.
Brown ME, Sachs LK, Arnoletti JM, Nguyen KQ, Lee JJ, Lahde CC, Kern EJ, Peters LD, Shapiro MR, Brusko TM. Human CD4⁺CD25⁺ Regulatory T Cells Deficient of CD226 Demonstrate Increased Purity and Lineage Stability Following Ex Vivo Expansion for Adoptive Treg Therapies. Oral Abstract and Poster presented at: Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCIS) 2022 Annual Meeting; 2022 Jun 21-24; San Fransisco, CA.
Brown ME, Arnoletti JM, Sachs LK, Nguyen KQ, Lee JJ, Brusko TM. CD226_^– Human Regulatory T Cells Exhibit Increased Stability Compared to Conventionally Sorted Populations. Poster presented at: 18th Congress of the Immunology of Diabetes Society (IDS); 2021 Nov 1-4; Virtual.
Brown ME, Hanbali SR, Gomez Rodriguez LM, Arnoletti JM, Carpenter EB, Brusko TM. Human CD4⁺CD25⁺CD226^– Regulatory T Cells Demonstrate High Purity and Lineage Stability Following In Vitro Expansion for Adoptive Cell Therapy. Poster presented at: 81st Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA); 2021 Jun 25-29; Virtual.

Awards and Professional Honors

Poster of Merit Award, Annual Meeting of the Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCIS; 2022)
University Scholar, UF College of Medicine (2021-2022)
Outstanding Abstract Award, 18th Congress of the Immunology of Diabetes Society (IDS; 2021)
University Scholar, UF College of Medicine (2020-2021)
Emerging Scholar, UF Center for Undergraduate Research (2019-2020)

Community Outreach

Breakthrough T1D – Young Adult Advocacy Council (YAAC), Member (2025-2027)
Florida Camp for Youth and Children with Diabetes (FCCYD), Counselor (2023-Present)
American Diabetes Association (ADA) – Imagine Camp, Counselor (2021-2022)

Contact

Lab: (352) 273-9300

Email: matthewbrown@ufl.edu