Research Interests
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 supported by generous funds from the NIH, the American Cancer Society, and the Leo Foundation.
Questions? Interested in joining the lab? Click here.
Summer 2021
Congrats and farewell, Rachel & Karen!!
Rachel is starting graduate school at Michigan, and Karen is retiring after 20+ years of service at the University. Thanks for all that you've done!
Research Highlights
Hotspots for basal cell carcinoma
Hotspots for basal cell carcinoma
Hotspots for basal cell carcinoma
Where do BCCs come from? Which stem cells in the skin are susceptible to forming tumors? How might nerves play a role?
Sebaceous gland biology
Hotspots for basal cell carcinoma
Hotspots for basal cell carcinoma
Sebaceous glands secrete oils that maintain healthy skin. We study how stem cells that maintain these glands are regulated.
Tumor-drug response
Hotspots for basal cell carcinoma
Tumor-drug response
Advanced BCCs frequently persist after drug treatment. Our study identifies genetic factors that affect tumor-drug response.
How does hair form?
Discovery of Keratin 79
Tumor-drug response
What happens during the earliest stages of hair follicle formation in the skin?
Discovery of Keratin 79
Discovery of Keratin 79
Discovery of Keratin 79
Learn how we identified a novel keratin in the skin, Keratin 79.
Primary cilia & cancer
Discovery of Keratin 79
Discovery of Keratin 79
What does an ancient cellular structure, the primary cilium, have to do with cancer?
Recent Publications
Preparing the hair follicle canal for hair shaft emergence.
Mesler AL, Benedeck RE, Wong SY.
Experimental Dermatology. 2020 Oct 6. Online ahead of print.
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.
About Us
Sunny Wong
Natalia Veniaminova
Natalia Veniaminova
Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, and Cell & Developmental Biology
Natalia Veniaminova
Natalia Veniaminova
Natalia Veniaminova
Research Associate
Kenny Trieu
Natalia Veniaminova
Kenny Trieu
Graduate Student, Department of Cell & Developmental Biology
Sibyl Tsai
Virginia Ju
Kenny Trieu
Postdoctoral Scholar
Noah Ford
Virginia Ju
Virginia Ju
Laboratory Technician
Virginia Ju
Virginia Ju
Virginia Ju
Medical Student
Stephanie Shimko
Stephanie Shimko
Stephanie Shimko
Administrative Assistant
Adrien Hartigan
Stephanie Shimko
Stephanie Shimko
Undergraduate Student
Previous Members
Rachel Benedeck, laboratory technician (2019-2021)
Kenny Trieu, CDB graduate student (2018- )
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
Lab Fun