Daniel Arie Haber

Dr. Daniel Arie Haber is the Kurt J. Isselbacher/Peter D. Schwartz Professor of Oncology at Harvard Medical School, Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, and an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The Haber laboratory focuses on understanding the fundamental genetics of human cancer, from inherited mutations that confer familial predisposition to genetic mutations that are acquired by tumors themselves and may render them susceptible to specific targeted drug therapies. Haber is known for his breakthrough identification of mutations in the EGFR gene that confer dramatic sensitivity of some lung cancers to drugs that inhibit that pathway. This discovery revealed the importance of genetic classification of common epithelial cancers in applying novel targeted therapies. He has also worked extensively on the genetics of breast cancer and Wilms' tumor, a children's cancer tumor, identifying key genes implicated in the development of these cancers. Haber’s team has also collaborated with a bioengineers, molecular biologists and the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center clinical disease centers to develop, characterize, and apply a microfluidic device capable of isolating rare circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the blood of patients with cancer. This new technology offers the promise of: (1) noninvasive monitoring of cancers during their treatment for the emergence of drug resistance; (2) early detection of invasive cancers; and ultimately (3) understanding and blood-borne spread of cancer and devising strategies to treat and ultimately prevent the metastastic spread of cancer. Haber has received extensive recognition for his work, including the Hinda Rosenthal Award for Translational Research, the Emil Freireich Award, and the National Foundation for Cancer Research-American Association for Cancer Research Professorship. In addition to his American Academy of Arts and Sciences membership, he is also a fellow of the National Academy of Medicine. His publications appear in top-tier journals such as Cell, Nature, New England Journal of Medicine, and Science.