Marco D. Wong, M.D., Ph.D. (Graduated 2002)
Post-Doctoral Scientist at the Stowers Institute

I would like to thank the faculty and staff of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology for the excellent training I received in the Ph.D. program. The Department had provided me the opportunity for very broad training in the areas of Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, and Structural Biology. I feel it is an exciting time to be a scientist since the sequencing of the human genome and advances in molecular biology have opened up new areas of scientific investigation. I would like to express my appreciation to my advisor, Dr. Barry Rosen, Professor and Chair, for the opportunity to work on a variety of projects in his laboratory which provided me with numerous skills and experiences with expressing, purifying, and characterizing soluble and membrane proteins. I had the opportunity to work on transcription factors and ATPase transporters as well learn some x -ray crystallography. There are numerous opportunities to interact with other faculty within the Department. I enjoyed working with the structural biologists in the department and believe x-ray crystallography and NMR are powerful tools which are being used in all scientific disciplines to decipher the molecular mechanism of a variety of biological processes. The facilities for the structural biologists are one of the best and state-of-the art. My experience in protein biochemistry and molecular biology has helped me to contribute significantly to my current lab. I feel fortunate to have made contributions on two papers which have recently been submitted for publication on stem cells. With my background in medicine, I hope to be involved in translational research which bridges the gap between the patient and bench. I would like to strongly recommend this Department to all prospective students who want to receive excellent training in a collegial environment with approachable faculty.

Bin Fan, Ph.D. (Graduated 2002)

Post-Doctoral Fellow, GenenTech, Inc.

My four and half years in Wayne State University’s Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology as a graduate student was an important part in my life. I was surrounded by talented fellow students, postdocs and faculty who were outstanding scientists with years of mentoring experience. Everyone was extremely generous with help and advice. The program helps students perform and publish research in exciting fields. The department provided opportunities for me to be connected to the outside world, with frequent seminars and access to conferences and collaborations with other labs. I was also encouraged to present my research on a regular basis and have numerous publications. I had an amazing experience at Wayne State University and highly recommend the program to other students.

Yan Sun, Ph.D. (Graduated 2000)

Research Associate, Department of Biochemistry, Michigan State University

My experience in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Wayne State University is a great treasure of my life. In the well-organized graduate program, I had opportunities to learn from many brilliant faculty members in the department and lots of invited scientists from all over the world. Throughout years of studies in the program, I accumulated experience, knowledge and methodologies in multidisciplinary areas of life sciences. More importantly, I was able to decide my future research direction which combines bioinformatics, genomics and molecular biology. I am still getting benefits from my experience at Wayne State.

Isabelle Lehoux, Ph.D. (Graduated 2000)

Scientist, Structural Chemistry, Celera, San Francisco

I joined the department in 1995. The coursework reinforced my basic understanding of protein biochemistry and molecular biology and extended my knowledge to the areas of cell biology, enzymology, RNA transcription and X-ray crystallography. I was able to choose the coursework for my minor to be taken in a different department, which would best complement my Biochemistry training. My graduate research was under the guidance of Dr. Bharati Mitra, studying the catalytic mechanism of a flavo-enzyme and was a great learning experience. Interactions within and outside the department through journal clubs, seminars, symposiums, conferences were numerous during my years at Wayne State, exposing me to the various areas of biological research. When I decided to do a post-doc in industry, I realized that my biochemistry training was a real asset since biochemists play key roles in drug discovery for all diseases. They are central players in the process, at the interface of chemistry and biology.