Dr. David Hayes’ work is characterized by collaborative multidisciplinary science, including clinical trials, translational cancer research, and model systems of cancer, with a focus on aerodigestive tumors.

In the clinic, Dr. Hayes’ group provides multidisciplinary care across a spectrum of lung tumors and epithelial tumors of the head and neck (mouth, throat, larynx, sinuses, and salivary glands). In this context, they have endeavored to develop a palate of clinical trials serving the spectrum of disease they treat, including focused trials appropriate to every patient stage and function.

The primary focus of Dr. Hayes’ lab is translational cancer genomics. In this endeavor, they rely on well-annotated sets of patient samples that are then interrogated for alterations of a range of biomolecules including DNA, RNA, and protein. They then associate alterations in these biomolecules with either patient-specific outcomes such as survival, tumor phenotype, or perturbations in normal cellular function associated with cancer. In some cases, the adherent biomolecules are appropriate for clinical biomarkers, and the group engages in confirmatory studies. In other cases, they take their cue from annotated patient samples to evaluate model systems including animals and cell lines to establish reagents that most clearly represent human disease. From the starting point of representative models, Dr. Hayes’ lab then interrogates specific cancer pathways with a goal of developing more effective patient therapies. In conjunction with these efforts are collaborations with pulmonary biologists, computer scientists, statisticians, and biostatisticians.