University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · BiologyHecht Lab
Stephen S Hecht · Minneapolis, Minnesota
Research Focus
Dr. Stephen S. Hecht's lab focuses on understanding how cigarette smoking contributes to different types of cancer, particularly lung cancer and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The lab investigates the biochemical and genetic mechanisms behind these cancers, exploring why incidence rates vary among different ethnic and racial groups. Their research combines molecular biology, epidemiology, and innovative mass spectrometry techniques to profile DNA damage caused by tobacco smoke, which helps identify individuals at higher risk for cancer, thus promoting more effective prevention strategies.
lung cancerhead and neck cancertobacco carcinogenesisDNA adductsepigeneticscancer epidemiologybiostatisticsracial differences in cancer riskmolecular biomarkerscarcinogen exposure
Research Aims
4AIM 01Investigate the genetic and epigenetic factors influencing lung cancer risk among different ethnic groups who smoke.
AIM 02Profile carcinogen-derived DNA adducts in oral cells of smokers to understand their relationship with HNSCC.
AIM 03Develop a method for quantifying DNA adduct levels in oral cells to identify those at risk for cancer.
AIM 04Analyze the impact of cigarette smoking and alcohol on DNA damage in oral tissues and their correlation with HNSCC incidence.
Skills the Lab Values
mass spectrometryDNA analysisepigenetic profilingbiochemical assayscancer risk assessmentcohort studiesdata interpretationliquid chromatographygenetic sequencingtobacco exposure studies
Output against the department
Publications1,120top 1% of dept.10th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations53ktop 4% of dept.46th of 1,033
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.