Support our work | Heft Neal Lab

New research is revealing the critical role of the immune system in fighting head and neck cancer. While surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy have remained the backbone of treatment, it is increasingly important to understand how new immune‑based therapies interact with these established approaches.

Our research focuses on three areas:

Discovery through translational and clinical research – Investigating how the tumor immune microenvironment and immune modulating therapies influence radiation response and cancer recurrence, and identifying new ways to personalize therapy.

Turning research into real‑world patient care – Leveraging  blood‑based tools, like circulating tumor DNA tests, to detect cancer earlier, monitor response to treatment, and reduce unnecessary toxicity.

Improving quality of life after treatment – Studying functional outcomes, such as speech, swallowing, and airway independence, to ensure patients not only survive but thrive after cancer.

With the support of collaborators and donors, our mission is to turn scientific discoveries into better treatments and better lives for people with head and neck cancer.

Donor funding makes a significant, measurable difference to researchers - especially for head and neck cancer. Let's promote research to save and improve lives together!

• $50-$100 Expands our patient data and tumor specimen repository for patients with head and neck cancer, laying the foundation for cutting-edge discoveries.
• $500-$1,000 Lets us test a promising new scientific question in one of our ongoing studies, pushing the boundaries of what we know.
• $5,000-$10,000 Provides vital seed money to begin pioneering projects that seek to bring personalized medicine to patients with head and neck cancer.
• $50,000-$100,000 Is transformative, supporting clinical trials evaluating new survivorship care or novel drugs.