Wayne State students dominate at Michigan Physiological Society meeting

The Wayne State University Quiz Bowl team, top row, and coaches, bottom row, won first place at the physiology quiz bowl competition.

Graduate and undergraduate students from the Wayne State University School of Medicine delivered a strong showing at the 2025 Michigan Physiological Society meeting, winning awards in several research presentation categories, as well the Undergraduate Quiz Bowl Team competition for the third consecutive year.

“WSU had an entirely new team of undergraduates, assembled with the help of WSU faculty from main campus and the School of Medicine,” said Associate Professor of Physiology Patrick Mueller, Ph.D., who directs the team.

Coaches included 2024-2025 MPS Quiz Team alumni Russell Elkus, David Abdelnour and Mia Biernat, as well as Olivia Camp, Gwendolyn Adoteye, Manar Yaseen and Afoluso Olayonwa. Scouts and recruiters included Thomas Fischer, Karen Myhr and Jennifer Vranish.

“A small flex for WSU was that this year's win completed a three-peat for 2023, 2024 and 2025, which was pretty sweet to share that with the quiz team coaches who attended the meeting, as well as the former students, now coaches, who helped start the trend in 2023,” Dr. Mueller added. “Perhaps more important was to see how these interactions have grown into both friendships and further professional interactions over the years. These students continue to benefit from their experiences as they look to their coaches not only for Physiology knowledge but also for advice as each one moves through their different career stages.”

Wayne State also won the quiz event’s inaugural competition in 2017.

The individual winners from Wayne State at the June 17 event held at Michigan State University include:

Graduate/Postdoctoral Poster Presentation

First place/Detroit Cardiovascular Training Program Best in Cardiovascular Research Award: Gwendolyn Adoteye

Second: Afoluso Olayonwa

Undergraduate Poster Presentation

First place/American Physiological Society Local Undergraduate Research Award in Physiology: George Ayankeke

Second place: Orena Koka

Third place: Michelle Naulo