Henry Ford + MSU Distinguished Cancer Research Lecture Series
Monthly Lecture Series | Third Wednesday | In-Person & Virtual
The Henry Ford + MSU Distinguished Cancer Research Lecture Series aims to highlight exciting, cutting-edge cancer research, generate new ideas, and build new collaborations among Henry Ford Health, Michigan State University, and researchers at other cancer centers.
Faculty members, research staff, graduate/medical students, and health care professionals are invited to join this hybrid seminar series. Lectures will be on the third Wednesday of every month from noon to 1 p.m. (EST/EDT), alternating between the Henry Ford Health campus in Detroit and the Michigan State University campus in East Lansing. Lunch will be provided for in-person attendees.
No registration is required to participate in the Henry Ford + MSU Distinguished Cancer Research Lecture Series. Please note that the Henry Ford + MSU Distinguished Cancer Research Lecture Series is not recorded.
LOCATION
Michigan State University Location:
Interdisciplinary Science Technology Building (ISTB)
Room 1404
766 Service Rd
East Lansing, MI
Henry Ford Health Location:
Henry Ford Hospital
Room ER2096
2799 W Grand Blvd
Detroit, MI
January 21, 2026: Cell-Intrinsic and -Extrinsic Neural Influences in Pancreatic Cancer
Teams Meeting Link | MSU
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William L. Hwang, M.D., Ph.D., is a principal investigator and physician-scientist at the Center for Systems Biology, Center for Cancer Research, and Department of Radiation Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School where he leads the Laboratory for Spatial and Systems Oncology, cares for patients with gastrointestinal malignancies and serves as associate director of the Radiation Biology & Research Program. Dr. Hwang has a long-standing interest in the immense temporal and spatial heterogeneity of biological systems and the many insights that can only be gleaned by studying systems at the level of their individual components – single molecules or cells. His laboratory studies tumor-stromal interactions through the development and application of novel techniques in advanced microscopy, single-cell and spatial biology, and genetic engineering to patient-derived specimens, stromal tumoroids, tumor slice cultures, and mouse models. Current project areas include mechanisms of therapeutic resistance mediated by cell state plasticity and cell-cell interactions, as well as tumor-nerve interactions, which are remarkably important in the pathogenesis of many cancers but poorly understood. His work has been honored with a Rhodes Scholarship, ASCO/CCF Young Investigator Award, AACR NextGen Star Award, Burroughs Wellcome Career Award for Medical Scientists, 40 under 40 in Cancer Award – Rising Stars and Emerging Leaders, Sir William Osler Young Investigator Award, and Abeloff V Scholar Award.
February 18, 2026: Reassessing Tumor Biology Through the Lens of African Ancestry
Teams Meeting Link | Henry Ford Hospital
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Clayton C. Yates Ph.D., is a recognized expert in health disparity research. Dr. Yates earned his Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in molecular pathology, as well as a certificate of training in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative medicine from the McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine. He then went on to complete a postdoctoral fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Urology. After completing his post-doctoral training, Dr. Yates started as a tenure-track Assistant Professor at Tuskegee University in the Department of Biology and the Center for Cancer Research. Dr. Yates was promoted through the ranks to Full Professor. Cell-MENTOR recognized Dr. Yates (an online resource from Cell Press and Cell Signaling Technology) among the 100 most inspiring Black Scientists in America. Dr. Yates’s lab focuses on prostate and breast cancer, particularly in African Americans. His lab has established several models derived from African American and Native African prostate cancer patients. Additionally, Dr. Yates identified a subtype of Breast cancer called “Quadruple Negative Breast Cancer” (QNBC), which is more frequent in women of African Ancestry. This novel approach used genetic admixture analysis and identified a specific ancestry-associated immune-related signature in both Breast and Prostate Cancers.Dr. Yates was featured on NCI’s website for the NCI Annual Plan & Budget Proposal for Fiscal Year 2023, which was provided to Congress, President Joe Biden, and the public.He has also received numerous research honors and awards totaling over 50 million. He has authored over 100+ peer-reviewed publications and is a member of the editorial board of Scientific Reports and AACR-Cancer Research Communications. Dr. Yates also serves as Co-Director for the Transatlantic Prostate Cancer Consortium, which focuses on understanding the tumor biology in native African men in Nigeria. In addition, Dr. Yates was the 2022-2023 Chair of the Minorities in Cancer Research Council (MICR) within (AACR), which serves 7,000+ minority cancer-focused scientists. Dr. Yates currently serves as MPI of U54- NCI CPACHE-Cancer Health Disparities Partnership with Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center and the Howard University Cancer Center.
Future Guest Speakers & Dates:
- Pedro Lowenstein, Ph.D.
March 18, 2026 | MSU - Shawn Hervey-Jumper, M.D.
April 15, 2026 | Henry Ford Hospital
More information to come...
QUESTIONS
For any questions, please contact Henry Ford + MSU Cancer Project Coordinator Jenna Anheuser, janheus3@hfhs.org. Learn more about the Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences partnership here.
PREVIOUS SPEAKERS
- Marina Pasca di Magliano, Ph.D.
Presentation Topic: Oncogenic KRAS as a Regulator of the Local and Systemic Pancreatic Cancer Microenvironment - Sita Kugel, Ph.D.
Presentation Topic: Targeting Lineage Plasticity in Pancreatic Cancer - Weiping Zou, M.D., Ph.D.
Presentation Topic: Metabolic Impact on Cancer Immunity and Therapy