Potential Mentors and Lab Positions

SOM OFFICE OF MEDICAL STUDENT RESEARCH is now partnering with main campus to include research opportunities specific to medical students in a searchable database. ForagerOne is a searchable database designed to support undergraduate and medical school student participation in research and creative activity across the campus. ForagerOne includes profiles for Wayne State University faculty members with information about their research interests and ongoing research projects.

Click here to access the ForagerOne database!

Click the log-in button in the upper right-hand corner. Choose Wayne State University from the drop-down menu. This will re-route you to the Academica log-in screen. Log-in with your normal academica ID and password, then you'll be re-routed back to the database.

For positions at Henry Ford Health
Henry Ford Health has instituted a new process for accepting medical students into research positions. Beginning in 2024, research positions at HFH will only be available twice per year with application deadlines being February 1 and September 1. This new process applies to everyone EXCEPT students in the research elective (elective students have a similar opportunity during the first portion of the elective).

Winter 2026 HFH Research Mentor Application period is now open! Application deadline is Friday, January 30. Download the application here.

Student Research Liaisons

The Office of Medical Student Research has also identified student research liaisons- faculty members who are able to assist students with finding mentors in various departments and locations. Feel free to reach out to the faculty below with a little information about your interests and experience, and ask about any available mentors.

Biochemistry Dr. Matt Jackson mpjacks@med.wayne.edu	Otolaryngology Dr. John Cramer jdcramer@med.wayne.edu
Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics Dr. Lawrence Grossman lgrossman@wayne.edu	Pathology Dr. Todd Leff tleff@wayne.edu
Dermatology Darius Mehregan dmehregan@wayne.edu	Pediatrics Dr. Lynn Smitherman lsmither@med.wayne.edu
Emergency Medicine Dr. James Paxton jpaxton@med.wayne.edu	Pediatric Emergency Medicine Dr. Amy DeLaroche ADelaroc@dmc.org
Family Medicine and Public Health Dr. Deborah Ellis dellis@med.wayne.edu	Pharmacology Dr. Mike Bannon mbannon@med.wayne.edu
Internal Medicine Dr. Safwan Badr SBadr@med.wayne.edu	Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Dr. Scott Millis smillis@med.wayne.edu
Neurology Dr. Deepti Zutshi dzutshi@med.wayne.edu	Physiology Dr. Joe Dunbar ad4730@wayne.edu
Obstetrics and Gynecology Dr. Gil Mor gmor@med.wayne.edu	Psychiatry Dr. Mary Morreale mmorreale@med.wayne.edu
Oncology Dr. Wei-Zen Wei aa2007@wayne.edu	Surgery Dr. David Gorski gorskid@med.wayne.edu
Ophthalmology and Visual Anatomical Sciences Dr. Anju Goyal agupta1@med.wayne.edu	Urology Dr. Kevin Ginsburg keginsbu@med.wayne.edu

For postitions at St. John's Hospital
Dr. Susan Szpunar- Director of Biomedical Research
susan.szpunar@stjohn.org