John Ensley, M.D. `77, F.A.C.P., M.S., is a professor emeritus of the Department of Oncology at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute. During his career he was an innovator in developing treatments for cancers of the head and neck.

In addition to his medical degree, Dr. Ensley’s bachelor’s degree, master’s degree in physiology, internship and Internal Medicine residency, and fellowship in Oncology were received at WSU.

His teaching career also began at WSU in the Department of Biology in 1971. Additionally, he taught at Wayne County Community College, Madonna University and Marygrove College.

After completing his training in Oncology, he joined the faculty of the WSU School of Medicine and the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute. He also served as professor of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery and Medicine, in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, as an adjunct professor in Radiation Oncology, was a member of the graduate faculty with the Cancer Biology Program and chief of the Head and Neck Cancer Section, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine at WSU and Karmanos. He retired in 2011.

Dr. Ensley was a National Institutes of Health grant recipient from 1986 to 1998. He was senior author of “Head and Neck Cancer: Emerging Perspectives.”

He received the WSU School of Medicine Distinguished Alumni Award in 2003.