The goal of our laboratory’s research is to understand the environmental and stromal constituents that direct the carcinogenesis and progression of head and neck cancers. This includes commensal organisms found in the surface of the epithelia as well as non-neoplastic mesenchymal cells that nurture the growth of cancer cells. We focus on identifying the growth factor signals, downstream effectors, and transcriptional regulation that control the activation of cancer and non-cancer cells in head and neck cancer. Insights into these fundamental mechanisms are essential for developing novel biomarkers and therapy.