Heath Skinner, MD, PhD

Summary

Heath D. Skinner, MD, PhD, is a Professor in as well as the Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. In addition to his leadership and clinical duties, Dr. Skinner maintains an active, translational research laboratory focused upon identifying novel, clinically targetable biomarkers of resistance to radiation. His group utilizes "big data" approaches to clinical specimens as well as in vivo screening techniques to generate novel targets for study. These targets are then further investigated in vitro, to elicit insights regarding mechanisms of radioresistance. Dr. Skinner's research is designed to generate insights that led to the rational design of clinical trials using agents that are currently under investigation to minimize the time from bench to bedside. In addition to several current R01 grants, he is PI of the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Head and Neck SPORE.