Ryan Carey, MD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at the University of Pennsylvania who specializes in head and neck oncology and microvascular reconstructive surgery. Dr. Carey completed his Bachelor of Science in bioengineering, medical degree, and otorhinolaryngology residency training at Penn. He subsequently completed a head and neck surgery fellowship at the University of Miami which included extensive training in robotic surgery and microvascular free flaps. As a surgeon-scientist, Dr. Carey is dedicated to caring for patients with head and neck cancer while advancing the field through translational research.
The Carey Lab is a basic science and translational laboratory in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at the University of Pennsylvania, focused on improving the diagnosis and treatment of head and neck cancer. Our research is at the interface between cancer neuroscience, cell biology, immunology, microbiology, pharmacology, and genetics. We are specifically interested in understanding how head and neck cancer cells interact with the local tumor environment. One of our focuses is G-protein coupled receptors including taste receptors and how the involved signaling pathways can regulate important cellular processes in head and neck cancer. Our hope is that we can leverage taste receptors as biomarkers or therapeutic targets for treating malignancies. We are actively translating our findings from bench to bedside through clinical trials on therapies studied in our lab.