Sunny Y Wong, PhD
Associate Professor of Dermatology
Associate Professor of Cell and Development Biology

Available to mentor

Sunny Y Wong, PhD
Associate Professor
  • About
  • Links
  • Qualifications
  • Center Memberships
  • Research Overview
  • Recent Publications
  • About

    Sunny Wong joined the University of Michigan in December 2011 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Dermatology, with a secondary appointment in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology. He conducted his graduate research in the lab of Richard Hynes at MIT and received his Ph.D. in 2007. Subsequently, he trained with Jeremy Reiter as an American Cancer Society / A.P. Giannini postdoctoral fellow at the University of California San Francisco.

    Links
    • Wong Lab Homepage
    Qualifications
    • Postdoctoral Fellow
      University of California, San Francisco, Biochemistry, 2011
    • PhD
      Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, 2007
    • BA
      Cornell University, Ithaca, 2000
    Center Memberships
    • Center Member
      Rogel Cancer Center
    • Center Member
      Center for Cell Plasticity and Organ Design
    Research Overview

    Our lab studies how stem cells in the skin and hair follicle coordinate their behaviors to maintain barrier function, regenerate hair and heal wounds. These studies have important implications for patients who suffer from alopecia, acne, seborrheic dermatitis and ichthyosis. In addition, our group has a long-standing interest in understanding the genetic factors that drive the formation of basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the most common cancer worldwide. As members of both the Departments of Dermatology and Cell and Developmental Biology, we combine basic science and translational research to uncover novel insights into cutaneous biology.

    Recent Publications See All Publications
    • Journal Article
      Distinct mechanisms for sebaceous gland self-renewal and regeneration provide durability in response to injury.
      Veniaminova NA, Jia YY, Hartigan AM, Huyge TJ, Tsai S-Y, Grachtchouk M, Nakagawa S, Dlugosz AA, Atwood SX, Wong SY. Cell Rep, 2023 Sep 26; 42 (9): 113121 DOI:10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113121
      PMID: 37715952
    • Journal Article
      Sebaceous immunobiology - skin homeostasis, pathophysiology, coordination of innate immunity and inflammatory response and disease associations.
      Zouboulis CC, Coenye T, He L, Kabashima K, Kobayashi T, Niemann C, Nomura T, Oláh A, Picardo M, Quist SR, Sasano H, Schneider MR, Törőcsik D, Wong SY. Front Immunol, 2022 13: 1029818 DOI:10.3389/fimmu.2022.1029818
      PMID: 36439142
    • Journal Article
      Basal cell carcinomas acquire secondary mutations to overcome dormancy and progress from microscopic to macroscopic disease.
      Trieu KG, Tsai S-Y, Eberl M, Ju V, Ford NC, Doane OJ, Peterson JK, Veniaminova NA, Grachtchouk M, Harms PW, Swartling FJ, Dlugosz AA, Wong SY. Cell Rep, 2022 May 3; 39 (5): 110779 DOI:10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110779
      PMID: 35508126
    • Journal Article
      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. Dev Cell, 2019 Nov 4; 51 (3): 326 - 340.e4. DOI:10.1016/j.devcel.2019.08.015
      PMID: 31564613
    • Journal Article
      Tumor Architecture and Notch Signaling Modulate Drug Response in Basal Cell Carcinoma.
      Eberl M, Mangelberger D, Swanson JB, Verhaegen ME, Harms PW, Frohm ML, Dlugosz AA, Wong SY. Cancer Cell, 2018 Feb 12; 33 (2): 229 - 243.e4. DOI:10.1016/j.ccell.2017.12.015
      PMID: 29395868
    • Journal Article
      Hair Follicle Terminal Differentiation Is Orchestrated by Distinct Early and Late Matrix Progenitors.
      Mesler AL, Veniaminova NA, Lull MV, Wong SY. Cell Rep, 2017 Apr 25; 19 (4): 809 - 821. DOI:10.1016/j.celrep.2017.03.077
      PMID: 28445731
    • Journal Article
      Basal cell carcinoma preferentially arises from stem cells within hair follicle and mechanosensory niches.
      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 - 412. DOI:10.1016/j.stem.2015.02.006
      PMID: 25842978
    • Journal Article
      Keratin 79 identifies a novel population of migratory epithelial cells that initiates hair canal morphogenesis and regeneration.
      Veniaminova NA, Vagnozzi AN, Kopinke D, Do TT, Murtaugh LC, Maillard I, Dlugosz AA, Reiter JF, Wong SY. Development, 2013 Dec; 140 (24): 4870 - 4880. DOI:10.1242/dev.101725
      PMID: 24198274