About Us

Co-President

Kailee Hartway is a first year Ph.D. student in the Department of Pathology. She obtained her B.S. in Human Biology from Michigan State University in 2023. She is working in Dr. Nina Steele's lab in the Henry Ford Pancreatic Cancer Center and her research examines the role of T cells in pancreatic cancer liver metastasis and how those T cells change when patients are treated with chemotherapy. The goal is to understand how and why certain patients experience disease recurrence and ultimately experience metastasis. When Kailee is not in the lab, she enjoys going to the gym and watching red wings and lions games! 

Co-President 

Michael Flynn is a first year PhD student in pharmacology. He obtained his B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Michigan State University in 2021. He currently conducts research in Dr. Karin List's Lab. His research focuses on how certain proteins work to repair tissue in the eye after injury. When Michael is not in the lab, he enjoys rock climbing and watching movies with his cat.  

Vice President

Jenna Thibodeau is a first year PhD student in Cancer Biology. She obtained her B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Michigan State University in 2023. Her lab focuses primarily on leukemia and its associated risk factors. Her research is identifying how and why certain leukemias respond or don’t respond to treatment. The goal is to develop new and more direct forms of treatment to improve patient outcomes.

Treasurer

Shane Kowaleski is a first year Ph.D. student in the Department of Pharmacology. He obtained is B.S. in Biology at the University of Detroit Mercy in 2023. He is a member of the Bembenek lab, which has primarily been focused on the trafficking of vesicles necessary for permeability barrier formation in the C. elegans embryo. His research involves investigating the role of cell cycle regulatory proteins in modulating membrane traffic during meiosis, with the goal of gaining better understanding on the potential causes of female infertility. When not in the lab, he enjoys watching Tigers games and perfecting his golf swing (long road ahead here).

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Howard Crawford is the scientific director of the Henry Ford Pancreatic Cancer Center. He is a faculty member of the pharmacology and oncology departments at Wayne State University School of Medicine. Throughout Dr. Crawford’s career, he has been committed to outreach and community engagement.