Dr. Wnek’s background includes a B.S. in Biology from Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio with coursework focusing on microbiology, immunology, biochemistry, gross anatomy, physiology, and genetics. Upon graduation from Baldwin Wallace, he worked at Wil Research Laboratories in Ashland, Ohio as a biologist in the necropsy department. He was involved in conducting all teratology and pathology phases of reproductive and toxicological studies. This work experience sparked his interest in the field of toxicology; which is why he decided to attend The University of Arizona to complete a Ph.D. in the field of Pharmacology and Toxicology. His graduate research focused on the mechanism of arsenic-induced bladder cancer following chronic, low-level exposure to the arsenic metabolite, monomethylarsonous acid. In particular, he has investigated the role of chronic arsenic exposure and mechanisms of carcinogenesis as a result of arsenical-induced oxidative stress and protein oxidation, genotoxicity, alteration of DNA repair enzymes and site-specific interaction of arsenic at targeted proteins within cellular systems. 

As a senior toxicologist at CTEH®, Dr. Wnek specializes in toxicology, risk assessment, toxicity evaluations, and emergency response toxicology. He is a responding toxicologist in the CTEH® Toxicology Emergency Response Program (TERP®). Dr. Wnek participates in a variety of projects, including evaluating the relationship between chemical exposure and disease, participating in the formulation of emergency response guides, and involvement in environmental contamination and toxic tort litigation. He is a member of the Society of Toxicology and is certified as a Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology.