Our Team
Karen McLean, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Dr. McLean completed her PhD in cancer biology and then underwent clinical training after medical school including Obstetrics and Gynecology residency and Gynecologic Oncology fellowship. Her goal is to find new targets for treatment of women with ovarian cancer, so that we may improve outcomes for these patients. She cares for women with female cancers, including performing surgeries and managing chemotherapy treatments. Karen grew up in Ann Arbor and has been at the University of Michigan throughout her academic career.
Lijun Tan
Research Lab Technician, Lab Manager
Lijun has been working in the field of ovarian cancer at the University of Michigan for over two decades. He is experienced in a vast array of molecular biology techniques and enjoys working with and training new researchers.
Caroline Foster
Research Lab Specialist
Caroline is interested in translational research and discovering ways to change patient outcomes of various types of cancer. She has worked as a licensed veterinary technician for many years before becoming involved with animal husbandry at the University of Michigan. She performs survival study experiments with mice and is responsible for the tissue processing and banking of specimens for the Gynecologic Oncology Biorepository.
Erika Nakatsuka, MD, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Nakatsuka is a clinician scientist interested in ovarian cancer pathologenesis. She has extensive experience in ovarian cancer research and looks forward to expanding her knowledge and skills. She is working on efforts to target DNA damage repair pathways in ovarian cancer. She is joined by her husband (doing research in another Michigan Medicine laboratory) and her two children who have joined her in Ann Arbor from Japan!
Katelyn Tondo-Steele, MD
Gynecologic Oncology Fellow
Dr. Tondo-Steele comes to the University of Michigan for fellowship after completing her residency at Riverside Methodist in Ohio. She is studying new approaches to sensitize ovarian cancers to hormonal therapy by targeting the AKT signaling pathway.
Former Members
Danielle Bolland, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2016-2019
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Biology, Tenure Track, Division of Science and Math, University of Minnesota – Morris
Melissa Brackmann, MD
Gynecologic Oncology Fellow, 2017-2020
Current Position: Clinical Assistant Professor, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah School of Medicine
Carrie McIlwain, MD
Gynecologic Oncology Fellow, 2016-2019
Current Position: Physician, Gynecologic Cancer Institute of Chicago
Drs. Bolland, McLean and Brackmann review data.
Penny Yang
Undergraduate Researcher, 2015-2019
Current Position: Graduate Student, University of Michigan School of Public Health
Kari Hacker, MD, PhD
Gynecologic Oncology Fellow, 2015-2018
Current Position: Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New York University
Marina Stasenko, MD
Obstetrics and Gynecology Resident Researcher, 2012-2016
Current Position: Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New York University
Penny performs immunohistochemistry.