Meet our Team
Principal Investigator & Founder
Dionysios (Dennis)
Watson, MD PhD
Physician-scientist dedicated to improving the lives of cancer patients by bringing together the latest biomedical discoveries and personalized clinical care.
​
Passionate about long hikes in nature, immersive music, exploring different cultures and spending time with family.
PhD candidate
Brandon Leon
PhD student studying how glioblastoma cells interact with the brain.
​
PhD Candidate
Justin Ruiz
PhD student developing microbiome-inspired immunotherapies.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Irem Karaman, MD
Physician-scientist committed to narrowing the gap in translational cancer research, striving to reveal disease mechanisms essential for the design of personalized cancer care.
Enjoys sunsets, traveling, yoga, and catching chill tunes.
MD/PhD candidate
Jonathan Mitchell
MD/PhD student interested in the intersections of cancer biology, immunology, and neuroscience.
Enjoys skiing, house music, and watching Michigan football in free time.
Hematology/Oncology Fellow
Chinmay Jani, MD
Physician-scientist driven to advance translational immunotherapy research, with a focus on resistance mechanisms, predictive biomarkers, and novel therapeutic strategies.
​
Indian classically trained singer, train enthusiast, curates traveling to foster exploration and connection
PhD Candidate
Carolina de la Peña Fernandez
PhD student studying downstream effects of mitochondria transfer in brain tumors.
Visit our partner and neighboring lab's website for additional colleague profiles @ BayikLab.com