Henry Ford + MSU Research Center Celebrates Another Milestone with Beam Signing

Despite a rainy afternoon in May, team members from Michigan State University and Henry Ford Health had a chance to sign a 21-foot structural beam for the Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences Research Center.

Marking another tremendous milestone, this research center is the first physical representation of the Henry Ford + MSU partnership. With seven stories and approximately 335,000 square feet, the center will allow our researchers to expand their work in the conditions that most impact our communities.

“This new research center will anchor our future,” said Bob Riney, Henry Ford Health president and CEO, who spoke during the MSU Spartan Bus Tour morning stop at the Henry Ford + MSU Research Center. “It will house many of our brilliant research teams, draw talent from around the globe and stand as a national model for how academic institutions and health systems can work together to improve lives.”

From May 5-6, the Spartan Bus Tour brought together 50 MSU faculty and administrators to join President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D., for an immersive trip connecting MSU faculty and leaders with communities in the metro region. The second day of the tour included a morning visit to the Henry Ford Cancer Center as well as a special opportunity for participants to sign the beam at the partnership’s research center.

“This investment in our partnership advances biomedical research and demonstrates MSU’s commitment to the people of Detroit and the broader Michigan community,” said MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz, Ph.D.

“It’s incredibly inspiring to see both MSU and Henry Ford members come together to sign the beam,” Teri Grieb, Ph.D., Henry Ford + MSU chief administrative officer. “It is this collaborative spirit that is the foundation of the Henry Ford + MSU partnership and the source of promise of the discoveries to come in this building.”

The structural beam will be placed at the top of the Henry Ford + MSU Research Center mid-summer and the building is set to open in 2027.