Jennifer R. Brown

Jennifer R. Brown, MD, PhD is Director of the CLL Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, where she has established herself as one of the foremost clinical investigators in CLL with particular expertise in next-generation BTK inhibitors and CLL genomics. Dr. Brown was the principal investigator of the landmark ELEVATE TN trial (Lancet 2020), a phase III study in 535 previously untreated CLL patients demonstrating that acalabrutinib — a highly selective, covalent second-generation BTK inhibitor — was significantly superior to chlorambucil plus obinutuzumab, and acalabrutinib plus obinutuzumab provided additive benefit, leading to FDA approval of acalabrutinib in front-line CLL. She also led the ASCEND trial establishing acalabrutinib superiority over investigator's choice (idelalisib plus rituximab or bendamustine plus rituximab) in relapsed/refractory CLL. Dr. Brown has been a central investigator in defining the genomic landscape of CLL, characterizing how mutations in SF3B1, NOTCH1, TP53, BIRC3, and complex karyotype interact with treatment outcomes across novel targeted therapies. Her laboratory and clinical program have contributed substantially to understanding PI3K delta pathway signaling in CLL through idelalisib development, ibrutinib resistance mechanisms, and the immunological consequences of BTK and PI3K inhibition on the CLL immune microenvironment. Dr. Brown has authored over 300 publications and is a leading voice on CLL guidelines, toxicity management, and the comparative efficacy of novel agents.