Wei-Zen Wei, Ph.D., named Distinguished Service Professor by WSU
Wei-Zen Wei, Ph.D., a 42-year veteran of the Wayne State University School of Medicine faculty, has been named a Distinguished Service Professor for extraordinary service and contributions to the university and the greater community.
Dr. Wei is one of only five WSU faculty members to receive the recognition this year. The classification, according to the university, is to be used in rare instances to designate senior members of the university faculty who have made “extraordinary contributions to the university outside their own disciplines or who, by unusual service outside of the university, have brought great honor and recognition to the institution.” The title is given by the president of the university upon the advice of the provost.
A professor of Oncology, Dr. Wei joined the faculty in 1983. She is also the Herrick Endowed Chair of Cancer Research, and a member of the Tumor Biology and Microenvironment Research Program at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute.
Her research focuses on breast cancer. One landmark achievement from her laboratory was the development of the world’s first DNA vaccine that prevented or controlled HER2-positive cancer in experimental models and clinical trials. She also established a powerful platform to uncover genes important in cancer progression and immunity.
Dr. Wei has been instrumental in guiding national efforts to support the most important breakthroughs in cancer research through her service and chairmanship on numerous grant review committees. She has mentored emerging leaders, including many women and minority scientists, in her lab and through her service on advisory committees in multiple institutions, the American Association for Cancer Research and the American Association of Immunologists.
She recently completed her term as president of the Translational Research Cancer Centers Consortium, an alliance of 13 leading cancer centers in the Northeast and Midwest United States and Canada, including Karmanos.
She has been pivotal in fostering critical collaborations and partnerships between academia, government, industry, private sectors, philanthropy and patient advocates. She co-founded the Wayne State University, Karmanos and Henry Ford Health Immunology Focus Group, which promotes leading-edge immunology research, education and collaboration among investigators.