PhD Program

Division Home MCP Home Prospective Students About Us Current Students Faculty Mentors Curriculum Opportunities Annual Symposium Seminar Series MCP News Student Life Alumni Contact Information

Additional Information

Program in Biomedical Sciences Rackham Graduate School UM & Ann Arbor

University of Michigan

Calendars Libraries Maps MCTP Medical School Outlook Web Access (OWA) PUBMED UM Directory University of Michigan Wolverine Access Pathology Directory
  1. Division Home
  2. Home

Noah Puleo becomes Dr. Noah Puleo

Apr 7, 2025

Noah_Puleo_WEB_2.jpgWe are excited to announce another new PhD from our Molecular and Cellular Pathology (MCP) Graduate Program! Noah Puleo, PhD, successfully defended his thesis “Identification of Novel Mechanisms and Drivers of Ovarian Cancer Carcinogenesis and Chemotherapy Resistance,” the culmination of his educational journey, which also included a graduate certificate in Precision Health.

Puleo hails from Oil City, Pennsylvania, where his mother was a science teacher and later became the principal of his high school. “Luckily for me, she retired before I went, but she had been the boss of all my teachers, so they all knew who I was. I couldn’t get away with anything,” he said with a chuckle. “She was very inspirational, and that started me onto the path of science.”

He attended the University of Pittsburgh to earn his undergraduate degree in biology. In his freshman year, he participated in a program called First Experiences in Research. “I was interested in science, particularly in ALS research, because my uncle died from ALS.” He went to meet with a researcher and talked for two hours. “I didn’t realize this was an interview,” recalled Puleo. “As we concluded, he indicated he had a couple of others he wanted to talk to before making a decision, and that is when I found out this was an interview!” Puleo was accepted into the lab and spent four years doing ALS research. “For a while, I thought I wanted to pursue a career in environmental engineering or environmental science. I was very close to switching my major. Then, my advisor told me I would have to quit my work in the lab because my ALS research didn’t align with an environmental science degree. I couldn’t stop the research, and that realization helped me see this was something I wanted to do." Puleo was able to run his own project in the lab and published his graduate thesis as the first author. This was during the COVID-19 pandemic, and “I owe it to the support of my mentor, Dr. Todd Lamitina. He was fantastic; he was extremely supportive of me.”

As he neared graduation, he applied to the University of Michigan’s Program in Biological Sciences (PIBS). “When you apply to PIBS, you choose two different programs. The MCP program was neither of my two choices.” In his application letter, Puleo talked about his desire to conduct translational research and help patients. He had applied to more basic biology programs. “The director received my application and realized that I was unsure of what I wanted. They forwarded my application to Zaneta [Nikolovska-Coleska, PhD], and she offered me an interview. I was incredibly lucky they sent my application to her. It is a great program.”

Noah Puleo, back right, next to Analisa DiFeo and the rest of the lab as Noah began his work in the lab.As he began the program, he rotated through various laboratories, including Dr. Analisa DiFeo’s laboratory, which focuses on ovarian cancer. “The change from ALS research to ovarian cancer research was not intentional. I met a couple of students, Rita and Jessica, during my interview and got along well with them. I rotated in their lab and liked the projects they discussed and presented. It was focused on drug discovery, and I was interested in that. I loved working under Analisa – we had a great connection.” This occurred in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and he never had the opportunity to meet Dr. Difeo in person. “She was a very supportive mentor, and the projects that I could potentially work on were exciting.” After completing three different rotations, Puleo picked the DiFeo lab due to her mentorship style. “I’ve grown to love researching ovarian cancer,” he added.

Puleo worked with BenevolentAI, an AI-driven biotechnology company, to identify new drugs for chemotherapy-resistant ovarian cancer. “We were able to identify a dual-targeted approach that was able to not only target chemotherapy-resistant ovarian cancer but also could resensitize patients back to life-saving chemotherapy.” In his research, he identified that the proteins TNIK and CDK9 interact with each other and regulate the activity of the other. He met a researcher from the University of Copenhagen at an American Association for Cancer Research meeting who had patient-matched ovarian cancer organoids and was able to strike up a collaboration with him. Noah sent him the drugs to test in those models. The results showed that, regardless of the organoid’s source, it almost always demonstrated some efficacy across the panel, indicating the potential for broad-spectrum applicability in targeting these two proteins for ovarian cancer treatment.

Noah with fellow MCP Student Jessica Teitel and Dr. Analisa DiFeoIn addition to his research, Puleo served as the president of the MCP Student Council for two years. During this time, Dr. Nikolovska-Coleska stepped down to accept a deanship appointment and Drs. Simon Hogan and Jeff Rual assumed leadership. “We met frequently and addressed several issues that arose. Ultimately, the program emerged stronger, and I became deeply attached to everyone within it. I just loved doing the interview weekends because, as the president, I served as the lead host. I enjoyed my interview, and I made an effort to ensure they had a positive experience as well. I also enjoyed hanging out with the MCP cohort. We go out to dinners and then go out afterward. We went on camping trips; I’ve made many good friends through the program.” Puleo spent time with those ahead of him and behind him in the program and enjoyed hearing about their science while forming lasting friendships. “Everybody is so smart and talented. I enjoy attending seminars and hearing them deliver their talks. Their incredible work always amazes me. I am going to miss the MCP program!” Puleo emphasized, “I really want future people to know this so that they can see it too and decide to come here. It is an excellent program!”

During his time in the program, Puleo also had an opportunity to mentor undergraduate students. “I have one undergraduate that I have to brag about, Harini Ram. She just got awarded the Goldwater Scholarship, which I am incredibly proud of her for. She is incredible. She is so smart! I teach her how to do something one time, and she is completely self-sufficient. She definitely helped move my projects along. She is also one of the two nominees for the Astronaut Scholarship at the University of Michigan, awarded to students who conduct independent research projects in a STEM field. I’m encouraging her to pursue an MD/PhD program.” He also mentored a high school student, Dylan, who later came to Michigan and worked with him for a long time. “He was a great undergraduate, but he decided on a different career path and is now an Economics major, so I was sad to see him go. But I’m happy that he is following his passion.”

Noah Puleo and fiance Carly Jones in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland On the more personal side, Puleo enjoyed U-M’s active Recreational Sports program. “Today, I have both a dodgeball and a basketball game, and I play soccer frequently. I met many of my friends while playing soccer at the University and through a place called WideWorld.” He also enjoys hanging out with MCP friends at Bill’s Beer Garden, one of their favorite places. Importantly, he is engaged to a girl he met in Pittsburgh, Carly Jones. She was accepted into the Master of Social Work program at the same time Puleo was accepted into the MCP program. “We came here together during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the first year, we didn’t meet many people because we couldn’t do much. It was incredible having her here! We got engaged in November; she is currently working at Michigan Medicine as a social worker.”

Now that he has graduated from the program, Puleo is excited about his next opportunity. He is heading to the University of Chicago for his postdoctoral research. “I am going to work on a drug to potentially get it into the clinic. It is still in ovarian cancer, but I will be learning new biology, techniques, and aspects of drug discovery that I haven’t already done. I'm going to learn a great deal, and I’m excited to move to Chicago. In the coming years, Puleo is keeping his options open. He is leaning more toward biotech or pharma industries for the future but is also interested in the possibility of a start-up company. “I am open to all types of opportunities.”

Congratulations, Noah! We know you have a bright future ahead of you.

Back to Archive