Olesya Plazyo, PhD

 portrait of Olesya Plazyo
Research Assistant Professor, Dermatology, Medical School
[email protected]
Available to mentor
Olesya Plazyo, PhD
portrait of Olesya Plazyo
Research Assistant Professor
  • About
  • Qualifications
  • Center Memberships
  • Recent Publications

  • Manage Your Profile

    • About

    Olesya Plazyo, PhD, joined the U-M Department of Dermatology faculty as a Research Investigator in the fall of 2021. She is a member of the Autoimmunity/Immunogenetics in Skin Research Program in the laboratory of Dr. Johann Gudjonsson. Dr. Plazyo is pursuing research focused on deciphering the molecular mechanisms of autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases affecting skin and beyond, with a special focus on sexual dimorphism in immune response.

    Dr. Plazyo received her PhD in Physiology, with a concentration in reproductive immunology, from the NICHD Perinatology Research Branch and Wayne State University School of Medicine. She completed post doctoral training in cellular cardiology and immunology at Wayne State University, before joining the U-M Department of Dermatology in 2019 as a postdoctoral research fellow.

    Qualifications
    • Post-doctoral Research Fellow
      University of Michigan Medical School, Dermatology, Ann Arbor, United States
      2019 - 2021
      Postdoctoral Fellowship
    • Post-doctoral Research Fellow
      Wayne State University, school of Medicine, Detroit, United States
      2016 - 2019
      Postdoctoral Fellowship
    • Research Investigator
      University of Michigan Medical School, Dermatology, Ann Arbor, United States
      2021
      Postdoctoral Fellowship
    • Ph.D., Physiology
      Wayne State University, Detroit, United States
      2013 - 2016
    • M.S., Molecular Biology
      Wayne State University, Detroit, United States
      2007 - 2012
    • B.A., Biological Sciences
      Wayne State University, Detroit, United States
      2002 - 2006

    Center Memberships
    • Center Member
      Samuel and Jean Frankel Cardiovascular Center

    Recent Publications

     See All Publications
    • Journal Article
      Dynamic neutrophil-keratinocyte communication network centered on IL-36/TNFSF15 responses characterizes inflammatory responses in generalized pustular psoriasis
      Jiang R, Kirma J, Fox J, Xing X, Wang J, Sarkar MK, Bogle R, Do T, Coon A, Cole C, Plazyo O, Rew JE, Zhang H, Kahlenberg JM, Billi AC, Bachelez H, Tsoi LC, Harms PW, Shao S, Chen X, Gudjonsson JE. Nature Communications, 2026 Dec 1; 17 (1): DOI:10.1038/s41467-025-67917-9
      PMID: 41436466
    • Proceeding / Abstract / Poster
      Heavy metal exposure is associated with dysregulation of VGLL3- an immunologic etiology of preeclampsia
      Plazyo O, Bambarendage P, Harris S, Pace B, Dwyer S, Anderson L, Gudjonsson J, Bartell A. 2026 Oct 7;
    • Proceeding / Abstract / Poster
      Novel VGLL3-based mouse model of lupus converges with the Sle1/2/3 lupus mouse model on Hippo pathway modulation, immune activation, and fibrosis
      Plazyo O, Gudjonsson J, Tsoi L, Billi A, Kahlenberg JM, Ward N, Dlugosz A, Syu L-J, Young K, Peela R, Bogle R, Erba J. 2026 Sep 1;
    • Presentation
      "Updates on the role of COL8A1 in fibrosis"
      Plazyo O. 2026 Jul 7;
    • Proceeding / Abstract / Poster
      P.019 Collagen VIII: a promising target for anti-fibrotic treatment
      Plazyo O, Dey P, Erba J, Bogle R, Brodie W, Cai A, Tsoi L, Tsou E, Khanna D, Varga J, Gudjonsson J. 2026 Jun 7; a75.1 - a7a75. DOI:10.1136/jsrd-2026-sswc.73
    • Proceeding / Abstract / Poster
      P.235 Novel biomarkers of type VII collagen turnover are associated with interstitial lung disease and prognostic of pulmonary and skin outcomes
      Holm Nielsen S, Tsou P-S, Jamali M, Gudjonsson JE, Huang S, Plazyo O, Bay-Jensen A-C, Varga J, Khanna D. 2026 Jun 7; a237 - a238. DOI:10.1136/jsrd-2026-sswc.279
    • Proceeding / Abstract / Poster
      P.236 Biomarkers of fibroblast activity and tissue destruction are associated with diffuse systemic sclerosis, and prognostic of pulmonary and cardiovascular outcomes
      Holm Nielsen S, Tsou P-S, Jamali M, Gudjonsson JE, Huang S, Plazyo O, Bay-Jensen A-C, Varga J, Khanna D. 2026 Jun 7; a238.1 - a2a238. DOI:10.1136/jsrd-2026-sswc.280
    • Journal Article
      A longitudinal atlas of human psoriatic skin reveals the mechanisms of anti-IL-23 therapy in disrupting the type 17 inflammatory circuit.
      Jiang R, Blauvelt A, Shi L, Tsoi LC, Bogle R, Fox J, Gharaee-Kermani M, Chen L, Zhang H, Xing X, Sarkar MK, Plazyo O, Kahlenberg JM, Billi AC, Matheson RT, Photowala H, Ehst BD, Gudjonsson JE. Immunity, 2026 May 28; DOI:10.1016/j.immuni.2026.05.002
      PMID: 42208526

    Featured News & Stories

         woman taking her blood pressure on bed while pregnant
    Health Lab

    Researchers discover what may be the root cause of preeclampsia, and how to fix it

    After years of research, a large team of multidisciplinary scientists from Michigan Medicine has identified a key molecular driver of preeclampsia, and demonstrated a potential way to counteract it in both mouse models and human placental tissue.