Jeffrey Milbrandt

Jeff is a scientific founder of Disarm Therapeutics. Recently, in a joint effort with Aaron DiAntonio’s lab at Washington University in St. Louis, Jeff’s laboratory identified the enzyme SARM1 as the central driver of axon degeneration, presenting a promising drug target for the treatment of neurological disease and neuropathy.

Jeff’s research laboratory uses genomic and metabolic approaches to understand the process by which unhealthy or injured axons degenerate, an early pathologic event that underlies most neurodegenerative diseases and peripheral neuropathies. His lab has made major discoveries including identification and characterization of the GDNF neurotrophic factor family whose members are being developed into treatments for neurological disorders, and the molecular link between metabolism, NAD and axon health. He holds over 25 patents on neurotrophic factors, axonal protective agents, and their use in treating neurological disorders.

Jeff graduated from Washington University Medical School (WUSM, MD, 1978) and the University of Virginia (UVA, PhD, 1983). He completed his residency in Pathology at UVA and joined the Departments of Pathology and Medicine at WUSM in 1983. He became the David Clayson Professor of Neurology in 2005 and the Head of the Department of Genetics in 2009. Under his leadership, the Department is focusing on disease-based genetic research and helping WUSM become an international leader in Precision Medicine and Genome Engineering.