Center for Cancer Health Equity Research
The Center for Cancer Health Equity Research (CCHER) is dedicated to advancing multidisciplinary, collaborative research focused on cancer health equity. Serving as a dynamic hub, CCHER will attract leading faculty to MSU, including those affiliated with the Henry Ford Health System, who will find a secondary home here. CCHER will be primarily located in East Lansing. The initial 4 faculty hires and admin staff will be located there. As CCHER grows, additional new faculty hires may be based in Detroit or Grand Rapids depending on the research needs of the new faculty. Also, with future growth, it is anticipated that new CCHER faculty could be in diverse departments at MSU.
The CCHER will be a key resource for recruiting top-tier faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students from across the country and beyond, particularly those from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds.
Beyond our core focus on cancer health equity, CCHER offers valuable opportunities for collaboration with faculty from various departments across MSU. These partnerships will support a broad range of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, further enriching our research community.
By leveraging state-of-the-art infrastructure and fostering a collaborative environment, we will secure funding from major sources, including the NIH, DOD, and other federal and state agencies, driving impactful research and advancing health equity in cancer care.
Meet the CCHER Team
Olorunseun O. Ogunwobi, MD, PhD (CNS/CHM/COM) - Founding Co-Director
Dr. Ogunwobi has nationally recognized expertise in studying the molecular mechanisms of cancers with established health disparities and in leading large NIH-funded cancer health equity programs. He was the Founding Director of the Hunter College Center for Cancer Health Disparities Research (CCHDR), a position that has bolstered his national/international reputation in the field of cancer health equity research. He will establish a similar research program in this area at MSU. This will be a unique addition to MSU’s portfolio of research programs, and will have synergism with other health equity programs already established in the college.
Jennifer Jacob, PhD
Dr. Jennifer Jacob is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Pharmacology as well as Toxicology at Michigan State University. With over two decades of experience in cancer immunology and precision health, Dr. Jacob’s research focuses on identifying actionable genetic targets to improve cancer intervention strategies. Her work is distinguished by a commitment to leveraging diverse genetic backgrounds to deepen our understanding of immune responses in cancer, particularly within the tumor microenvironment.
Dr. Jacob obtained her doctorate degree from Michigan State University, studying how genetic changes impact the immune response to stress.
Faculty Recruitment
Recruitment of new faculty members with interest relevant to cancer health equity: Four (4) new faculty members with direct interest in cancer health equity research will be recruited over the next 4 years. These initial faculty hires may have expertise in one or more of the following broad areas: basic sciences of cancer processes, and how these may connect to health disparities, clinical sciences (including clinical trials), population sciences (including public health, epidemiology, and biostatistics), and expertise in data sciences (bioinformatics, large data, etc). Expansion of CCHER will be accomplished by affiliating current MSU faculty with expertise in the aforementioned areas as well as others with expertise in behavioral sciences (including expertise in community based participatory research), and social sciences (including ethics, expertise in community based participatory research).