Anne M. Brown named to National Academies' New Voices program
The National Academies' New Voices program recognizes outstanding mid-career researchers for scientific leadership and service.
Anne M. Brown Ph.D. '16, associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), has been named to the New Voices in Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine cohort for 2026-28 by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
New Voices in Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is a selective leadership program established by the National Academies in 2018 to engage and connect outstanding mid-career scientists, engineers, and medical professionals as emerging leaders. Members serve a two-year term during which they contribute to National Academies activities, develop interdisciplinary initiatives addressing national and global challenges, and build a network of STEM leaders while strengthening their capacity to serve their communities.
Named alongside 19 other inductees, Brown was recognized for her cross-disciplinary research, leadership, and commitment to translating advances in computational biochemistry and data science into real-world impact. Her research focuses on using computational modeling and data science to better understand protein structure-function relationships, accelerate computer-aided drug discovery, and develop digital tools that improve human health.
A member of the Virginia Tech faculty since 2016, Brown has led collaborative research applying computational biochemistry and data science to challenges in neurodegenerative disease, metabolism, and infectious disease while championing open, reproducible scientific practices.
In addition to her research, Brown is known for her commitment to mentoring students and expanding access to computational and research-based science education. She has mentored more than five Ph.D. students, six master’s students, and 150 undergraduate researchers in her time at Virginia Tech, in addition to developing research-integrated learning experiences, and creating open educational resources that help students and researchers learn computational modeling techniques.
Selection to the New Voices program builds on Brown's growing national recognition. In 2022, she received a prestigious National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Award to study how biologically relevant microenvironments influence amyloid aggregation, research that could improve understanding of diseases associated with protein misfolding. The following year, she was named a Virginia Tech Data Science Faculty Fellow, recognizing her leadership in computational and data-driven research. In 2026, she received both the Outstanding Recent Graduate Alumni Award from the CALS Alumni Association and the college’s Certificate of Teaching Excellence.
“I am honored to be selected to the New Voices Program of the National Academies,” Brown said. “I am especially excited about the program’s emphasis on bringing diverse perspectives together to address challenges that no single discipline can solve alone. It represents an opportunity to contribute to conversations that will help shape the future of science while ensuring that the scientific enterprise remains innovative, rigorous, and accessible to future generations.”
During the two-year New Voices appointment, Brown will collaborate with fellow cohort members from academia, industry, government, and nonprofit organizations to examine pressing issues facing science, engineering, and medicine. The program encourages interdisciplinary dialogue while providing participants opportunities to advise National Academies leadership, build partnerships, and strengthen the role of science in addressing societal challenges.
Brown earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and physics from Roanoke College and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Virginia Tech.
