An interview with Arthur M. "Buzz" Brown, M.D., Ph.D. by Vicki Glaser

Dr. Arthur M. "Buzz" Brown is the founder and CEO of ChanTest Corporation, an ion channel company specializing in drug discovery and safety services. He is Adjunct Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Brown has more than 30 years of experience in ion channel structure-function relationships and their associations with human health. He established world-leading ion channel departments at University of Texas Medical Branch, Baylor College of Medicine, and Case Western Reserve University. His lab first applied liquid ion exchanger ion-selective microelectrodes to single cells, introduced the concept of membrane delimited action of G proteins on ion channels, identified the ion channel conduction pathway or pore of voltage-gated channels and inwardly rectifying potassium channels, showed that the human ether-à-go-go-related gene potassium channel was the molecular target for lethal arrhythmias associated with noncardiac drugs, and established that noncardiac drugs could also produce lethal arrhythmias by inhibiting ion channel trafficking. Dr. Brown holds eight patents on ion channel methodology and application of ion channel pharmacology to therapeutics.