David Hughes

Dr. David Hughes is a Lecturer/Assistant Professor at University College Dublin (UCD), where he joined the Conway Institute and School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science in 2018. He serves as a Senior Conway Fellow, Head of the Molecular Epidemiology of Cancer Group (MEC), and Co-Director of the Cancer Biology Therapeutics (CBT) lab cluster. His research focuses on the nutritional, genetic, molecular, and microbial epidemiology of various cancer sites, with colorectal cancer being his primary area of focus.

Dr. Hughes' educational background includes:

• BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Leeds (1990)
• PhD in Medical Genetics from Queen's University Belfast (1996)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Health Professions Education from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (2015)

Dr. Hughes' research examines how nutritional, genetic, metabolic, microbial, and lifestyle factors (together with their interactive impact on molecular mechanisms) affect the initiation and progression of cancer. His primary focus is on colorectal cancer, but he also conducts research on liver, pancreatic, breast, and gastric cancers. His investigative approaches include nutritional, genetic, molecular, and microbial epidemiology through observational and experimental studies in large European cancer cohorts. A significant portion of his work investigates the relationship between selenium status and cancer risk, particularly for colorectal and liver cancers.

Dr. Hughes' recent publications reveal a strong focus on the interplay between the gut microbiome, nutritional factors (particularly selenium), and cancer development. His work increasingly incorporates genetic epidemiology approaches like Mendelian randomization to establish causal relationships. There's a clear progression from studying individual nutrients and microbes to examining complex interactions between multiple factors in cancer pathogenesis.

Dr. Hughes has received notable recognition including:

• Senior Conway Fellow

Dr. Hughes is actively involved in mentoring students and securing research funding. His current and recent grants include projects funded by the Health Research Board, the EU, the International Health Cohorts Consortium, the World Cancer Research Fund, and various funders for the EPIC project. He leads the large prospective cohort studies within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), focusing on the influence of bacterial antigens, gut barrier integrity, and nutritional status of micronutrient minerals on cancer risk. He is also a steering committee member for colorectal cancer projects within the EPIC study and a member of the International Cancer Microbiome Consortium.

Dr. Hughes leads the Molecular Epidemiology of Cancer Group (MEC) and co-directs the Cancer Biology Therapeutics (CBT) lab cluster at UCD. His team conducts research within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort, which includes over half a million participants across 23 centers in 10 Western European countries. The MEC group focuses on nutritional, genetic, molecular, and microbial epidemiology of various cancer sites, with particular emphasis on colorectal cancer.