Melissa Dobson hopes to play a major role in the ongoing battle against cancer as a researcher exploring new findings that may one day lead to a cure.

Ms. Dobson, 26, is a Ph.D. candidate in the Cancer Biology program at the School of Medicine. The Sterling Heights native, who attended Macomb Christian High School in Warren, is interested in intercellular signaling.

“I like to study how proteins react and influence each other,” she said. That interest led Ms. Dobson to launch a career in cancer research.

“I always knew I wanted to be a researcher,” Ms. Dobson said. “I wanted to be in the lab, discovering why things happen.”

Ms. Dobson, a third-year student, said she truly became interested in medical research during her third year as an undergraduate at Wayne State University. She graduated from WSU with a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry.

The rigors of her education have caused Ms. Dobson to set aside – for now – some outside interests, especially an artistic bent that includes drawing, calligraphy and stained glass.

The arts may have to wait a little longer for Ms. Dobson, who is considering a post-doctoral program after graduation. “I’m not sure whether I will teach or become solely a researcher, but I will definitely become a researcher.”

She said she selected the Wayne State University School of Medicine because of the excellent reputation of the Ph.D. program.

“I was really impressed by the program and the caliber of people here,” she said. “I know several people who went through the program and was impressed with where they ended up.”