Bruce A. Hay

Bruce A. Hay is a Professor of Biology at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), affiliated with the Division of Biology and Biological Engineering. He earned his B.A. from Claremont McKenna College (1982) and Ph.D. from the University of California, San Francisco (1989). His research focuses on genetic engineering, mitochondrial quality control, and applied evolutionary biology. Key projects include developing gene drives for population modification (e.g., mosquitoes, citrus psyllids), engineering mitochondrial DNA repair mechanisms, and creating lifetime contraceptives for mammals.

• Research Themes: Genetic engineering, neurodegenerative diseases, population control, and biotechnology applications.
• Collaborations: Works with Ming Guo (UCLA Neurology) on mitochondrial dysfunction in Alzheimer’s/Parkinson’s disease.
• Lab Activities: The Hay Lab develops technologies like vectored contraception (VC) and Cleave and Rescue gene drives for ecological and biomedical applications.

Recent work includes a 2024 Nature Plants study on plant gene drives and a 2022 PNAS publication on population elimination strategies for conservation. He also pioneered the SKIES learning system to enhance student engagement and co-founded the Community Science Academy (CSA@Caltech) to advance accessible science education.

Grants: Principal Investigator on a Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation grant (2014-2015) supporting high school science initiatives and portable molecular sensors.