David Gaffney, MD, PhD, is vice-chair and professor of radiation oncology at the University of Utah School of Medicine and an investigator at Huntsman Cancer Institute. He is a member of the Imaging, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics Program and chair of the Clinical Cancer Investigations Committee. His primary clinical interests are in the radiotherapeutic management of gynecological cancers, breast cancers, and lymphoma. His main research interests are in clinical trials development, prognostic markers, and secondary cancers.

Gaffney is interested in clinical trials that improve survival and quality of life for cancer patients. He serves as chair of the Gynecologic Working Group for the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG). The RTOG is a multi-institutional cooperative cancer research organization that conducts clinical trials. He is active in the Gynecologic Cancer Intergroup (a worldwide organization of clinical trial groups). He serves on a National Cancer Institute panel evaluating gynecologic clinical trials. He serves as a senior editor for the International Journal of Gynecologic Cancer, and he is a member multiple professional societies.

In addition, Gaffney is interested in radiation sensitizers, which are drugs that make cancer cells more sensitive to the effects of radiation therapy. He enjoys working with medical students and residents on a wide variety of projects.

Gaffney received a PhD and MD from the Medical College of Wisconsin. He completed an internship at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, and a residency in radiation oncology at the University of Utah School of Medicine.