Dr. Wilson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Oncology at Wayne State University and a member of the Karmanos Cancer Institute Molecular Therapeutics Program. He is also an adjunct faculty member in the C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development and the WSU Department of Pathology. He received a B.S. in Cell & Molecular Biology from Grand Valley State University in 2011 and a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from Wayne State University in 2016. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Michigan State University in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology in 2022, where he was funded by an American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship Award and a National Cancer Institute K99 Transition to Independence Award. He joined WSU and KCI as a faculty member in 2022. In this role, he is Course Director for CB7300 Grant Writing and CB7890 Student Seminar, Recruitment Co-Leader for the Cancer Biology Graduate Program, and faculty advisor for the undergraduate Cancer Research Club.

NCBI Google ScholarCancer Bio ProfileOncology Profile

Jessica Long is a third-year student in the WSU Cancer Biology PhD program. She is from Raleigh, NC, and received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from UNCG. While completing her degree Jessica ran DI cross country and did analytical chemistry research in the Oberlies Lab. Following her undergraduate program, she completed her Master of Biotechnology at Northwestern University and worked as a Variant Scientist at Tempus, a cancer precision-medicine company. In July of 2022, she started at Wayne State. She intends to complete her Ph.D. in Cancer Biology. In her free time, she enjoys teaching biology, traveling, hiking, rock climbing, and spending time with her Airedale Terrier and significant other.

Lab member since March 2023.

Sanjeev Ganesh is a second-year PhD student in Cancer Biology. He received his B.Tech Biotechnology degree at SRM Institute of Science and Technology in India before getting his M.S Cancer Biology degree from Wayne State University. Following this, in August 2024, he started his PhD at Wayne State University. He is also a department representative in the School of Medicine Graduate Student Senate where is part of the mentorship and career development committee. Outside the lab, Sanjeev loves to cook different vegetarian dishes and read books in his free time. He is also a big soccer fan and loves playing pickleball.

Lab member Oct ‘22-April ‘24 and Jan ‘25-present.

Ms. Pukhrambam (aka Sworna) has a BS degree in Biology. She has several years of research in diabetic eye disease, particularly in cell biology, biochemical and molecular studies. She also is experienced in animal studies of diabetic retinopathy and vision research in maintaining animal colonies and genotyping. She has several manuscripts published from previous laboratories. Currently, Sworna is involved in cancer research, specifically endometrial cancer mechanism and etiology. She is also one who likes to keep the working place clean and organized. At home, she loves gardening, walking and traveling.

Lab member since August 2023.

Publications

Maya is a research assistant at Wayne State University. She graduated with her Bachelors of Science in Cell and Molecular Neuroscience from Central Michigan University in 2024. During her time at CMU, she worked in a neuroscience research lab that investigated the combined effects of stem cell therapy and exercise on restoring fine motor function in a rat model of Parkinson’s disease. Maya is excited to contribute to areas of research outside neurodegenerative disease, areas such as cancer. In her free time, she loves running, yoga, baking and film.

Lab member since May 2025.

Madelyn is a research assistant at Wayne State University. She received a Bachelor of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology from Grand Valley State University in 2025. During her undergraduate career, she participated in research projects on cancer biology and metabolism at GVSU, WSU, and Van Andel Institute. She is passionate about translational cancer biology and moving research from bench to bedside. In her free time, she enjoys trying new coffee shops, hiking, and spending time with friends and family.

Lab member summer 2023 and May 2025 to present.

Juveria is a fourth-year undergraduate student at Wayne State University. She is majoring in Public Health Honors on the pre-med track. Juveria is President of Rising Refugees and Co-President of Future Pediatrics, both undergraduate student organizations at WSU. As such, her passions include aiding underserved populations, human rights activism, and health equity. She is fluent in both English and Urdu. She has had numerous experiences in a variety of healthcare settings. Juveria is also a current volunteer at Downriver Community Clinic. She hopes to make an impact in the research effort of this lab, especially in broadening the amount of women's health research in general. Outside of all this, Juveria's hobbies include reading, team sports, and trying out any new places with her friends. Some of her other interests are travel, fashion, and environmental protection. In Sumer 2024, Juveria was selected for the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship through the Department of Oncology.

Lab member since February 2024.

Areebah is a fourth-year undergraduate student at Wayne State University on the pre-med track. She possesses a deep dedication to contributing to healthcare and serving the community. Her aspirations lie in attending medical school and pursuing a career as a physician. As part of her commitment to the community, she serves as the youth coordinator for Pakistan Children’s Relief USA, intending to support disadvantaged children, and has completed a fellowship with Rising Voices, who aim to promote youth leadership. She is also a certified phlebotomy technician and currently works as a nursing aide at a Corewell Health Surgery Center, where she has gained numerous opportunities to shadow physicians spread across different fields. In her free time, Areebah enjoys exploring cafes in metro Detroit and reading books. In Summer 2024, Areebah was selected for the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience through the WSU School of Medicine.

Lab member since February 2024.