Brian Hayes

Department: Pathology
Year Entered: 2008
Prior Degrees: BS, University of Illinois, 2002

Research Interests:
My current research focus is the in vivo activity of platelet derived growth factor c (Pdgfc). Platelet derived growth factors play a role in cell proliferation and migration. Pdgfc overexpression has been associated with some cancers and defects involving organ fibrinogenesis. I am interested in determining the role of Pdgfc in normal tissue homeostasis and its role in tissue injury.

Why Molecular Medicine?
Translational medicine has emerged as an important field of scientific research. The benefactors of our research, the public, should expect to see a clear connection between money that is spent on research and the benefit that knowledge has in the clinic. To date, most of the emphasis in translational medicine has been directed toward encouraging medical doctors to enter research. The molecular medicine training program is important because it is one of the few programs that encourage research oriented individuals to experience the clinical side of biomedical research. It allows PhD students to keep in mind the ultimate goal of finding therapies for human afflictions.

Publications:
Pillai MM, Hayes B, Torok-Storb B. Inducible transgenes under the control of the hCD68 promoter identifies mouse macrophages with a distribution that differs from the F4/80 and CSF-1R expressing populations. Exp Hematol. 2009 Sep 19. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 19772887.

Hayes B, Fagerlie SR, Ramakrishnan A, Baran S, Harkey M, Graf L, Bar M,
Bendoraite A, Tewari M, Torok-Storb B. Derivation, characterization, and in vitro differentiation of
canine embryonic stem cells. Stem Cells. 2008 Feb;26(2):465-73. Epub 2007 Dec 6.