SUMMARY
Mayo Clinic researcher Brian C. Searle, Ph.D., studies a central question in human biology: How do genetic differences reshape proteins and contribute to disease? His laboratory develops mass spectrometry, bioinformatics and machine learning technologies to identify and measure proteins, interpret complex datasets, and connect molecular changes to biological function. The team also creates rigorous, reproducible approaches that allow comparison of protein measurements across experiments, instruments and laboratories. By applying these methods to both cancer and rare diseases, Dr. Searle aims to discover biomarkers and therapeutic targets that improve diagnosis, disease monitoring and treatment.
Focus areas
- Connecting genetic variation to protein function. Dr. Searle studies how inherited and acquired genetic differences alter proteins, signaling pathways and cellular behavior. His laboratory integrates genomic and protein measurements to identify the molecular consequences of genetic variation and uncover disease mechanisms or potential treatment targets.
- Computational methods and machine learning. The laboratory develops algorithms and software that translate complex mass spectrometry data into reliable biological measurements. These approaches improve the identification and quantification of proteins and their chemical modifications while making advanced protein analyses more accessible to biomedical researchers.
- Reproducible protein measurement. Dr. Searle develops experimental designs, reference materials, peptide libraries and analytic practices that make mass spectrometry measurements more consistent across studies. This work helps researchers compare results across instruments and laboratories, evaluate new technologies, and build dependable evidence from large-scale protein data.
- Biofluid biomarkers and clinical assay development. The laboratory analyzes urine and other body fluids to discover protein patterns associated with disease. Current work includes biomarkers for pancreatitis and rare disorders, with an emphasis on selecting practical sample types and developing measurements that can be advanced toward clinical testing.
Significance to patient care
Dr. Searle's research improves the way proteins are measured in blood, urine, tissue and other body fluids. His team develops methods that can detect more proteins from smaller samples, helping preserve valuable patient specimens while learning more from each one.
The laboratory also works to make protein measurements more accurate and consistent. This helps researchers identify changes that are truly linked to disease and obtain reliable results across different instruments, laboratories and studies.
These advances support the discovery of new biomarkers, which are biological signs of disease. The research also helps lay the foundation for tests that can detect disease earlier, determine how severe it is and track how it changes over time.
Professional highlights
- Member, Advisory board, United States Human Proteome Organization, 2026-present.
- Member, Editorial board, Molecular & Cellular Proteomics, 2026-present.
- Co-founder and business owner, Proteome Software Inc., 2004-present.
- Rising Stars in Proteomics and Metabolomics: 40 Under 40, Journal of Proteome Research, 2021.
- American Society for Mass Spectrometry:
- Emerging Talent Award, 2020.
- Member-at-large for digital communications, Board of directors, 2014-2016.
- Chair, Proteome Standards Research Group, Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities, 2018-2019.
- Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Individual Predoctoral Fellowship, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, 2016-2018.