Dr. Dougherty's research interests focus on basic and clinical research in photodynamic therapy (PDT), which he developed at Roswell Park Cancer Institute and is now approved by health agencies worldwide for the treatment of bladder, esophageal and lung cancers. Current research interests include clinical trials of a newly developed chlorophyll-a based drug for PDT; quantitative studies to allow rational design of new photosensitizing drugs; Photofrin®-mediated PDT as an adjuvant to neurosurgery in an attempt to destroy tumor cells beyond the margin of surgical resection; PDT for treatment of AIDS-related cutaneous Kaposi's sarcoma; parabolic quantitative structure-activity relationships of various porphyrin-based photosensitizers.

Dr. Dougherty earned his doctoral degree in Physical Organic Chemistry at Ohio State University, Columbus, in 1959. Dr. Dougherty has received numerous awards and honors including, among others, the Life-time Achievement Award by American Society of Photobiology, 2001, the Thomas B. Thomasi Achievement Award, 2000, the Schoellkopf Award, American Chemical Society, Western New York Chapter, 1982; D'Youville College Award for Achievement in Health Care; and Inventor of the Year Award, Niagara Frontier Intellectual Property Law Association and the Technical Societies Council. He was granted an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by Canisius College in 1991, and was the recipient of the Sullivant Award for contributions to education by Ohio State University in 1995. Dr. Dougherty joined the staff of Roswell Park in 1970. Dr. Dougherty is a member of a number of scientific organizations and has authored or co-authored more than 180 journal publications, book chapters and abstracts, and holds 25 patents. He serves on the editorial boards of several journals and is Assistant Editor of International Photodynamics. Dr. Dougherty also is a grant reviewer for the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, and the Swiss National Science Foundation. Dr. Dougherty's work has been the subject of several newspaper articles and television news programs, as well as a 30-minute special on CBS describing a trip to China in 1983 to lecture on photodynamic therapy. He is President and Research Director of The Oncologic Foundation of Buffalo.