Olen Brown, scientist, professor, consultant, and writer has authored over 200 articles and four books. He is a gifted communicator, and a frequent guest on radio, TV, and podcasts.

At OU he earned the BS in laboratory technology, the MS in bacteriology, and the PhD in microbiology. He made the Dean’s honor roll his first semester at OU while working all three shifts at OU’s Oklahoma Daily, out of economic necessity. He earned research fellowships each year of graduate study and, exceptionally, was appointed Instructor before obtaining the PhD. He was inducted into Sigma Xi, an international honor society of science; more than 200 Nobels have been members.

He joined the School of Medicine, University of Missouri (MU) and was soon recognized by joint-appointment at MU’s Space Sciences Research Center (SSRC) where he was its youngest scientist. His research focus, life-giving oxygen, was of major concern to NASA (3 astronauts perished in fire fed by pure oxygen in a space capsule). Brown was recruited by the Houston Lunar Receiving Laboratory but chose to remain in academia.  

Brown served at MU during four decades in research and in administration. The SSRC transitioned to the Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center (DCRC) and he served five different directors, was assistant director, directed the analytical laboratory, and the oxygen research radical laboratory (recommended by outside peer review as a mini-center).

He held joint appointments in the Medical School, the College of Veterinary Medicine, and the SSRC/DCRC. He was elected by his peers to the Graduate Faculty; Area of Microbiology; Doctoral Faculty, and Molecular Biology Faculty. He directed 12 dissertations and theses; served on 21 graduate degree committees; taught lectures in 10 courses; and served on or chaired 20 Committees.

He is a current/former member of: Top One Percent (I.Q.) Society, New York, NY; The Society of the Sigma Xi; International Society for the Study of Xenobiotics; Society of Toxicology; American Chemical Society; American Institute of Chemists (Fellow) and Professional Program Board Member; The Oxygen Society; American Heart Association; International Society of Exposure Analysis; Undersea Medical Association; National Space Society; International Platform Association; Society of Microbiology; and American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Brown is listed in: American Men and Women of Science (11^th edition -), Marquis Who’s Who, and 15 other listings (none paid). He served on the Editorial Boards of Biomedical Letters, The Faculty Press, Cambridge, England; Frontiers in Bioscience, an on-line Encyclopedia of Science and Medicine; CellBio; and Academia Biology.

He is an invited reviewer for the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal of Biochemistry, Redox Report, Chemical Research in Toxicology, Toxicology and Environmental Chemistry, Analytical Biochemistry, International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Free Radical Biology and Medicine, Journal of General Microbiology, Academia, and others.

Brown’s scholarly activities include site reviewer for numerous grants and program projects for NIH and NIEHS; registered with National Institute of Justice; and guest lecturer, Ross University, St. Kitts for virology, microbiology, toxicology, and pharmacology. He testified for farmers for the right-to-farm at Missouri Senate Agricultural Committee Hearings; he served as an expert witness in Courts in Oklahoma for right-to-farm issues and for toxic exposures and infectious disease cases. He was an invited participant at the Equifax conference ‘Assessing Environmental Health Risks’. He was a science judge for: Columbia Home School Association; 22nd International Science and Engineering Fair, Kansas City; and Missouri Academy of Sciences. His research team gave 23 invited presentations at National and International Conferences.

He was invited question writer for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT); and American College Testing (ACT), a non-profit providing assessment and financial aid services throughout the world to schools, professional associations, and government agencies to more than 2 million people and 30,000 agencies/institutions annually.

Brown collaborated with the DuPont Corporation, Adria Laboratories for malaria therapeutics, University of California at San Diego; University of Kansas; Georgetown University; Washington University St. Louis, and the BDM Corporation, Bartlesville, OK.

He taught approximately 2,500 medical, veterinary medical and nursing students, and dozens of graduate students. His students have positions at major universities, including the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Federal Agencies including the CDC. One PhD student, Huda Amash became the dean at the University of Bagdad and was the president of Iraq’s microbiology society. During unfortunate circumstances surrounding the Iraq War she surrendered to coalition forces, was never charged and in August 2005, the American Association for the Advancement of Science called for “her release or else to be sent to trial”. She was never charged with any crime and was released. He took the opportunity to defend her on national news programs and her strong Christian faith sustained her during these adversities.

Brown summarized his pioneering scientific work about oxygen and free radicals in his book: Oxygen, the breath of life, boon and bane in human health, disease, and therapy. He is published widely including in Science and Nature. His research has been cited more than 1800 times. A review on Covid-19 has been viewed more than 3,200 times. Research Gate scores him in the top 7.5% of 16 million scientists worldwide.

Like many historical scientists, Brown believes in consistency of faith and science, and he gives away his book “Miracles” including via the California-based “Educate for Life” ministry. During the pandemic he published six papers on Covid-19. He judged science projects for home-schoolers, is a deacon and led adult bible study. He was a timer/judge for MU varsity track. He coached children for the Heart of America Track Club and ran three marathons.

As a diplomate of the American Board of toxicology he serves the legal (forensic) aspects of science, and has served farmers in Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, and Kansas in support of the right-to-farm in relation to odors and pesticide applications. He also serves pro-bono for injured veterans via the MU Law School, and the Kansas and Missouri Public Defender’s Offices. He currently is assisting with the appeal of a wrongly-convicted mother in prison due to lack of a scientific defense.

Email :  browno@missouri.edu