Matthew Hayes, PhD
University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Matthew R. Hayes is the Albert J. Stunkard Professor in Psychiatry, Vice Chair of Basic and Translational Neuroscience, and Director of the Molecular and Neural Basis of Psychiatric Disease Section in the Department of Psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. As an educator, Dr. Hayes holds a secondary appointment in the School of Nursing where he teaches core courses for the Nutrition Major at Penn. Dr. Hayes earned his PhD in Nutritional Sciences from The Pennsylvania State University and conducted his postdoctoral fellowship in psychology and neuroscience at The University of Pennsylvania under the mentorship of Dr. Harvey Grill. Dr. Hayes is considered a leading expert on the neuroendocrine systems that regulate energy balance.
In particular, the Hayes laboratory focusses their research efforts extensively on understanding the neural, behavioral, cellular, molecular, and physiological mechanisms by which hormones, such as GLP-1, amylin, GIP, PYY, and leptin regulate food intake and body weight through action in the caudal brainstem and mesolimbic reward system. These basic science research efforts are conducted with the intention that they will translate into improved pharmacological / behavioral treatments for obesity, diabetes, and co-morbid diseases. Dr. Hayes has been PI / MPI on multiple NIDDK R01 awards, as well as Investigator Initiated Sponsored Proposals from pharmaceutical partners. These and other awards have supported his research into neuroendocrine controls of energy balance and obesity, with a track record of over 150 publications in this area.
He has and continues to provide service as program chair and as an executive board member and scientific advisor for multiple international scientific societies (e.g. SSIB, Keystone and TOS), industry partners, and non-profit organizations dedicated towards neuroscience, nutrition, diabetes and obesity research / clinical care. Dr. Hayes also continues to provide service to NIH, having served on the BNRS and NORC review study sections reviewing NIH research proposals.