John Hayes received his undergraduate training (1972-1976) in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, with final year of studies in Molecular Biology. He gained a PhD from the Medical School of the same university in 1980, awarded for investigation into hepatic bile acid-binding transporters, which was undertaken in the laboratory of Professor Iain Percy-Robb. Upon completion of his PhD experimental work, Dr Hayes worked for 14 months as a NHS biochemist in the Department of Clinical Chemistry at the Western General Hospital, Edinburgh.

Currently, Dr Hayes holds the chair of Molecular Carcinogenesis in the Medical School at the University of Dundee, where he was until recently associate dean of Postgraduate Student Studies and deputy director of the Medical Research Institute. His research focuses on adaptation to oxidative and electrophile stress, with a particular focus on the mechanisms by which the transcription factor NRF2 controls antioxidant systems in health and disease. In 1981, Dr Hayes was appointed a Lecturer within the University Department of Clinical Chemistry at Edinburgh. Here, he focused attention on the enzymology and protein chemistry of the glutathione S-transferase (GST) superfamily in rodents and human, becoming particularly interested in the contribution of inducible GST enzymes to chemoprevention against liver cancer by phenolic antioxidants against the naturally-occurring hepatocarcinogen aflatoxin B1, thereby identifying and characterizing previously unrecognized GSTs. At the University of Edinburgh, Dr Hayes was promoter to Reader in October 1991. In October 1992, Dr Hayes moved as a Reader to the University of Dundee where he focused more on the molecular biology and inducible regulation of detoxification enzymes and his laboratory identified a previously unrecognized family of aldo-keto reductases (AKR) that metabolizes aflatoxin B1. In January 1997, the University of Dundee promoted him to a personal chair. Since then, Prof Hayes has directed his research towards the mechanisms by which GST, AKR and glutathione-dependent genes are regulated via NRF2 by oxidative stressors and electrophiles. During his academic career, Prof Hayes has been regarded a leading researcher in the GST, AKR, NRF2, oxidative stress, redox signalling and cancer fields; he has published numerous reviews in these areas. He has participated in the organization of many international scientific conferences, and has given numerous invited lectures. Prof Hayes was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (equivalent to the National Academy of Scotland) in May 2008, and a Fellow of the Society of Biology in September 2008.

For further information see: John D. Hayes (Google Scholar)  

Ongoing research in the Hayes laboratory is focused on manipulation of redox signalling to resolve liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.

Prof Hayes contributes to the medical curriculum by providing a SSC module entitled “Antioxidants and Degenerative disease” for first-year MB ChB students in which evidence that dietary supplements improve redox signalling/oxidative stress and mitigate chronic diseases is evaluated. He also provides 10-week SSC research projects for third-year MB ChB students.

Hayes contributes to the BMSc course run for medical undergraduate students on diabetes by providing lectures/tutorials on “Hepatocyte redox status” and “Endoplasmic reticulum stress in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis”.

Hayes contributes to the science curriculum by running journal clubs and providing research projects for final-year undergraduate BSc students doing the Biological & Biomedical Science, the Cancer Biology, and the Cancer Pharmacology streams.

Hayes contributes to the MRes Cancer Biology course by providing research projects.