Our Vision and Mission

“Our genes and proteins are the game officials of our lives. They already know if you have a cancer in your future.

Or dementia. Or some other devastating disease. We must identify these genes and proteins in our bodies and discover ways in which they might be altered to prevent those diseases from occurring in the first place . . .

That research is the role of the IMM”

James T. Willerson, M.D.
Founder

We strive to revolutionize human health by leading global biomedical innovation, where molecular understanding of disease drives transformative diagnostics, therapies, and preventive strategies. Through pioneering research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a commitment to patient-centered impact, IMM envisions a future where the most challenging diseases are not only treatable but preventable.

The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases is dedicated to uncovering the cellular and molecular causes of disease to improve human health. Using advanced DNA and protein technologies, our researchers strive to design rational therapies and preventive strategies that transform the future of medicine.

Our seven research centers form the heart of this mission, each driving discovery and delivering solutions:

• Center for Cardiovascular Genetic Research – Investigating inherited heart conditions to develop personalized prevention and treatment strategies.
• Center for Human Genetics – Decoding the genetic basis of complex diseases to advance precision medicine.
• Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases – Tackling diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and other chronic conditions through molecular insights.
• Center for Molecular Imaging – Innovating diagnostic tools that visualize disease at its earliest stages.
• Center for Neuroimmunology and Glial Biology – Exploring the brain’s immune system to treat stroke, epilepsy, and neurodegenerative disorders.
• Texas Therapeutics Institute – Accelerating drug discovery and development for cancer and chronic illnesses.
• Center for Translational Cancer Research – Bridging laboratory breakthroughs with clinical care to improve cancer outcomes.

Together, these centers embody IMM’s dual objectives: discovery and patient benefit. We believe that understanding disease at the molecular level leads to transformative diagnostics and therapies. Our work addresses some of medicine’s most urgent challenges—heart disease, cancer, diabetes, mental illness—and positions IMM as a leader in biomedical innovation.

Through collaboration with academic, clinical, and industry partners, and with the support of our donors, IMM is shaping the future of medicine—locally, nationally, and globally.