Brett McCray, MD, PhD

 portrait of Brett McCray
Fovette E Dush Early Career Professor
Assistant Professor of Neurology
Medical School
[email protected]
Available to mentor
Brett McCray, MD, PhD
portrait of Brett McCray
Assistant Professor
  • About
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  • Qualifications
  • Research Overview
  • Recent Publications

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    • About

    Brett A. McCray, M.D., Ph.D., is a physician scientist who leads a basic, translational, and clinical research program and also sees patients with neuromuscular disease. He is currently an Assistant Professor in Neurology at the University of Michigan. He received his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, where he worked with Dr. J. Paul Taylor on the pathogenesis of hereditary neuropathy due to mutations in Rab7. He then completed a neurology residency at the Mass General-Brigham Neurology program, followed by a neuromuscular fellowship at Johns Hopkins. He leads a research group focused on furthering the understanding and treatment of peripheral neuropathy, particularly inherited forms of peripheral neuropathy such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease. The lab is primarily focused on inherited neuropathy caused by mutations in the calcium-permeable ion channel TRPV4 (transient receptor potential vanilloid 4) that cause a range of conditions, including CMT type 2C, scapuloperoneal spinal muscular atrophy, and congenital distal spinal muscular atrophy. The McCray lab combines the study of cultured cells and analysis of animal models of disease to elucidate pathways important in the pathogenesis of TRPV4 neuropathy and other forms of neuropathy. The lab is also involved in clinical and translational research efforts to help bring insights from the bench to patients affected by various forms of hereditary neuropathy, with a particular focus on TRPV4-related disease.

    Links
    • Bret McCray lab website

    Qualifications
    • Neuromuscular fellowship
      Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Neurology, Baltimore, United States
      2015 - 2016
      Clinical Fellowship
    • M.D.
      University of Pennsylvania Medical School, Philadelphia, PA, United States
      2003 - 2011
    • Ph.D.
      University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
      2003 - 2010
    • Bachelor of Science
      Duke University, Durham, United States
      1998 - 2002

    Research Overview

    Inherited neuropathy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, TRPV4, RhoA, blood-brain barrier

    Recent Publications

     See All Publications
    • Journal Article
      Advances in the pathophysiology and treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
      Fridman V, Elafros M, Eid S, Reynolds EL, McCray B, Callaghan BC. BMJ, 2026 Mar 26; 392: e081217 DOI:10.1136/bmj-2024-081217
      PMID: 41887652
    • Journal Article
      Association of the Recurrent ATP1 A1 Variant p.Gly549Arg With Intermediate CMT and Loss of Na,K-ATPase Function.
      Spontarelli Fruit K, Olivera JF, Colmano N, Bird SJ, McCray BA, Yano ST, Scherer SS, Artigas P. Neurol Genet, 2025 Oct; 11 (5): e200309 DOI:10.1212/NXG.0000000000200309
      PMID: PMC12488841
    • Journal Article
      Atypical diabetic neuropathies.
      McCray BA, Stino AM, Davalos L, Quigley S, Becker B, Callaghan BC. BMJ, 2025 Sep 29; 390: e081109 DOI:10.1136/bmj-2024-081109
      PMID: 41022466
    • Presentation
      CMT type 4: mechanisms and potential interventions
      McCray B. 2025 Sep 30;
    • Presentation
      Preparing for clinical trials in CMT2C: challenges, insights, and unanswered questions
      McCray B. 2025 Sep 30;
    • Presentation
      Mechanistic Insights and Therapeutic Opportunities in TRPV4-related Hereditary Neuropathy
      McCray B. 2025 Sep 30;
    • Journal Article
      Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1E: clinical natural history and molecular impact of PMP22 variants
      Ward KS, Ptak CP, Pashkova N, Grider T, Peterson TA, Pareyson D, Pisciotta C, Saveri P, Moroni I, Laura M, Burns J, Menezes MP, Cornett K, Finkel R, Mukherjee-Clavin B, Sumner CJ, Greene M, Abdul Hamid O, Herrmann D, Sadjadi R, Walk D, Züchner S, Reilly MM, Scherer SS, Lewis RA, Bharucha-Goebel D, Bonnemann C, Muntoni F, Traub R, McCray B, Saporta M, Perlman S, Fridman V, Acsadi G, Gonorazki H, Li J, Yum S, Estilow T, Eichinger K, Cavalca E, Crivellari L, Taroni F, Lanteri P, De Grado A, Cazzato D, Ramdharry G, Rossor A, Cortese A, Jones T, Svaren J, Piper RC, Shy ME. Brain, 2025 Jun 13; awaf219 DOI:10.1093/brain/awaf219
      PMID: 40488457
    • Presentation
      TRPV4 as a therapeutic target in hereditary neuropathy and beyond
      McCray B. 2025 Sep 30;