Dr. Melissa Runge-Morris, M.D is a Professor of Oncology and Director of the Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Center for Urban Responses to Environmental Stressors.

Main Discipline(s):

Main Professional Societies:

Affiliation(s):

  • Molecular regulation of drug metabolizing enzymes during human
    development
  • Treating patients with T and B cell lymphomas and chronic leukemias
  • The Society of Toxicology (SOT)
  • The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET)
  • The American Society of Cancer Research (AACR)
  • The American Society of Hematology (ASH)
  • Wayne State University, Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (IEHS)
  • Wayne State University, Center for Urban Responses to Environmental Stressors (CURES)
  • Karmanos Cancer Institute
What are your undergraduate and graduate degrees in and from where?
I graduated from Kalamazoo College with a B.A. degree in Chemistry; I graduated from the
University of Michigan with an M.D. degree.
Give a brief summary (250 words or less) of your current area of research.

We study the sulfotransferase enzymes which catalyze the sulfonation of hormones, xenobiotics, and endogenous intermediates. Sulfonation can render a molecule more polar and more amenable to excretion and elimination from the body. However, when estrogen is sulfonated it no longer binds and activates the estrogen receptor, thus providing a means to finetune estrogen levels in breast tissue during differentiation and carcinogenesis. Our laboratory is investigating what regulates sulfotransferase gene transcription in the developing human liver before birth. Answering this question will shed new light on the role of metabolism in the earliest stages of human development.

How did you arrive at your current area of research?

I studied sulfotransferases for my “senior individualized project” in Chemistry at Kalamazoo College. It got me hooked!

What do you see as a current emerging area of research that you would like to participate in and why?

The regulation of drug metabolizing enzymes in developing organs before birth is difficult to study but vitally important to achieving a better understanding of maternal-fetal health.

Tell us your (one) favorite STEM research paper or book.   Why it is your favorite?
My favorite book is not about science but about how changing times affect family dynamics, personal decisions and relationships, it is “The Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family,” by Thomas Mann.
Do you have a favorite scientist, engineer or other role model? Who is it and why?

My favorite mentor was Dr. Clarence Vaughn, a dedicated Detroit-area oncologist who did basic science research and also maintained a very busy clinical practice. I shadowed him on rounds when I was still a college student in premed, and also worked in his research laboratory during the summers. Dr. Vaughn always went the extra mile in caring for his patients and was never too busy to listen. He inspired the same dedication and compassion in his medical team and demonstrated to everyone that in oncology, the patient is first and foremost number one.

What do you do for fun outside of your role as a woman in STEM?

I have many other interests outside of work, I think that helps keep things in perspective. I take care of an English Bulldog and Newfoundland and two very loud parrots including one that talks (and screams) non-stop. I speak German and French and currently am studying Italian at the Dante Alighieri School. I am passionate about classic film especially the film noir genre, and I take acting classes!

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