Welcome! We are a basic science research laboratory in the Department of Dermatology, Cell & Developmental Biology and Cellular & Molecular Biology program at the University of Michigan. Our interests are in discovering novel and fundamental insights related to skin and hair follicle biology, epithelial stem cells and cancer.
Our skin is a vital organ of great intrigue due to its immense complexity. Because of this complexity, a multitude of diseases can arise when cellular processes become defective. Some of these diseases are typically mild, such as acne. Others can be disfiguring, such as ichthyosis. Still others, such as basal cell carcinoma (BCC), are fascinating because of their subversion of key developmental pathways such as Hedgehog signaling. All these diseases are related to studies currently ongoing in our lab. In addition, we are keenly interested in studying how hair follicles grow, and how different stem cells in the skin coordinate their behaviors to drive hair regeneration. Our research is generously supported by the NIH, the American Cancer Society, the Leo Foundation, and the Roof cancer research grant.
*** We are hiring! If interested, click here. ***
Kenny and Sibyl's paper on basal cell carcinoma is in press @ Cell Reports! And, we have new funding!
Trieu KG, Tsai SY, Eberl M, Ju V, Ford NC, Doane OJ, Peterson JK, Veniaminova NA, Grachtchouk M, Harms PW, Swartling FJ, Dlugosz AA, Wong SY.
Cell Reports. 2022 May 3;9(5):110779.
Preparing the hair follicle canal for hair shaft emergence.
Mesler AL, Benedeck RE, Wong SY.
Experimental Dermatology. 2021 Apr(4);30:472-478.
Niche-specific factors dynamically regulate sebaceous gland stem cells in the skin.
Veniaminova NA, Grachtchouk M, Doane OJ, Peterson JK, Quigley DA, Lull MV, Pyrozhenko DV, Nair RR, Patrick MT, Balmain A, Dlugosz AA, Tsoi LC, Wong SY.
Developmental Cell. 2019 Nov 4;51:1-15.
Tumor architecture and notch signaling modulate drug response in basal cell carcinoma.
Eberl M, Mangelberger D, Swanson JB, Verhaegen ME, Harms PW, Frohm M, Dlugosz AA, Wong SY.
Cancer Cell. 2018 Feb 12;33(2):229-243.
Loss of Gata6 causes dilation of the hair follicle canal and sebaceous duct.
Swanson JB, Vagnozzi AN, Veniaminova NA, Wong SY.
Experimental Dermatology. 2018 Apr;28(4):345-349.
Mesler AL, Veniaminova NA, Lull MV, Wong SY.
Cell Reports. 2017 Apr 25;19(4):809-821.
Vagnozzi AN, Reiter JF, Wong SY.
Cell Cycle. 2015;14(21):3408-17.
Peterson SC, Eberl M, Vagnozzi AN, Belkadi A, Veniaminova NA, Verhaegen ME, Bichakjian CK, Ward NL, Dlugosz AA, Wong SY.
Cell Stem Cell. 2015 Apr 2;16(4):400-12.
Veniaminova NA, Vagnozzi AN, Kopinke D, Do TT, Murtaugh LC, Maillard I, Dlugosz AA, Reiter JF, Wong SY.
Development. 2013 Dec;140(24):4870-80.
2009-2011
Wounding mobilizes hair follicle stem cells to form tumors.
Wong SY, Reiter JF.
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2011 Mar 8;108(10):4093-8.
Primary cilia can both mediate and suppress Hedgehog pathway-dependent tumorigenesis.
Wong SY, Seol AD, So PL, Ermilov AN, Bichakjian CK, Epstein EH Jr, Dlugosz AA, Reiter JF.
Nature Medicine. 2009 Sep;15(9):1055-61.
Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, and Cell & Developmental Biology
Research Associate
Postdoctoral Scholar
Dermatology Resident
Undergraduate Student
Laboratory Technician
Undergraduate Student
Laboratory Technician
Administrative Assistant
Virginia Ju, medical student (2019, 2021)
Rachel Benedeck, laboratory technician (2019-2021)
Kenny Trieu, CDB graduate student (2018-2022) (Ph.D. '22)
Owen Doane, undergraduate research (2017-2021)
Jamie Peterson, laboratory technician (2017-2019)
Jacob Swanson, laboratory technician (2015-2017)
Arlee Mesler, CMB graduate student (2014-2018) (Ph.D. '18)
Madison Lull, undergraduate research (2013-2017)
Markus Eberl, postdoctoral scholar (2012-2017)
Austen Weaver, undergraduate research (2015-2016)
Shelby Peterson-Unsworth, CMB graduate student (2013-2017) (Ph.D. '17)
Nadia Danienta, undergraduate research (2012)
Natalia Veniaminova, postdoctoral scholar (2012- )
Alicia Vagnozzi, laboratory technician (2012-2015)
Karen Myers, administrative aide (2011-2021)
Rotation Students: Takuya Kaneko, Morgan Gingerich, Samantha Devenport, Fatima Javed, Haeyoung Park, LiAng Yao, Ryann Li