Joshua Heyza

Joshua Heyza is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences and Pharmacology at Wayne State University School of of Medicine. His research focuses on genomic stability mechanisms and their implications in cancer biology. He leads the Heyza Lab, which combines genome-editing and live-cell imaging technologies.

• Current affiliations: Wayne State University School of Medicine
• Previous affiliations: Michigan State University (postdoc), University of Michigan-Flint (undergraduate)

Research Interests center on DNA double-strand break repair, mitotic DNA repair mechanisms, and genome-wide CRISPR screens. His work explores how cells maintain genomic integrity through complex repair pathways and how these mechanisms relate to cancer development and therapeutic responses.

Publications highlight his contributions to understanding DNA repair kinetics, chromatin tethering mechanisms, and therapeutic targeting of repair pathways. Key topics include MDC1's PST repeat region, mitotic DSB repair, and platinum resistance mechanisms in lung cancer.

Education:

• B.S. in Biology, University of Michigan-Flint (2014)
• Ph.D. in Cancer Biology, Wayne State University School of Medicine (2019)
• Postdoctoral Training at Michigan State University (2019-2025)

Lab Members:

• Shomaila Mehmoood (Postdoc)
• Cody Phillips (Lab Manager/Research Assistant)
• Kristen Tran (Ph.D. Student)