The Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences partnership has recruited three talented cancer researchers, who will strengthen translational research and enhance collaborations across Michigan State University and Henry Ford Health.
"The launch of the Henry Ford + MSU Cancer Center created a unified framework for advancing cancer research and care across our institutions," said Jeff MacKeigan, Ph.D., Henry Ford + MSU Cancer Committee co-chair and MSU Office of Research and Innovation senior advisor. "These new appointments represent an important investment in that vision and will help drive new discoveries.”
Through the combined strengths of MSU’s research enterprise and Henry Ford’s translational and clinical cancer programs, the Henry Ford + MSU Cancer Center is accelerating discoveries that improve cancer prevention, treatment and patient care. Supporting this collaborative model, each scientist holds a position at both Henry Ford and MSU.
“These scientists bring unique scientific expertise and fresh perspectives that will enhance our research enterprise," said Benjamin Movsas, M.D., Henry Ford + MSU Cancer Committee co-chair, Henry Ford Cancer medical director and radiation oncology chair. "Their work will help broaden our scientific capabilities and create new opportunities for collaboration and growth.”
The partnership is pleased to welcome the following assistant scientists to the Henry Ford + MSU Cancer Center:
Olivia Aspiras, Ph.D.
Henry Ford Health Department of Public Health Sciences
MSU Department of Family Medicine
Joining Henry Ford + MSU July 2026
A social psychologist by training, Olivia Aspiras, Ph.D., bridges social psychology and public health research to address psychosocial barriers to cancer prevention. She also develops culturally appropriate interventions that reduce cancer disparities in underserved communities. Aspiras received her doctorate in experimental psychology at the University of Toledo and recently completed an American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship on “Culturally Targeted Messaging and Parental Receptivity to the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine” while she was a Research Associate in the C.S. Mott Department of Public Health at Michigan State University. Dr. Aspiras is particularly focused on promoting the use of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations to decrease risk for HPV-associated cancers, with an emphasis on novel intervention opportunities within applied healthcare settings.
Robert Jackson, Ph.D.
Henry Ford Health Department of Otolaryngology
MSU Department of Microbiology, Genetics and Immunology
Joining Henry Ford + MSU February 2027
Robert Jackson, Ph.D., is a tumor virologist who investigates virus-host interactions between cancer-causing human papillomaviruses (HPVs) and oropharyngeal epithelia. He has expertise in applying physiologically relevant 3D tissue models coupled with -omics techniques to study HPV16's differentiation-dependent lifecycle and tumorigenesis in the oropharynx. Jackson received his doctorate in biotechnology from Lakehead University and the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute. He was a Canadian Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and BIO5 Institute postdoctoral fellow and is currently funded on a National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) Pathway to Independence Award (K99) in the Department of Immunobiology at the University of Arizona.
Tyler Parsons, Ph.D.
Henry Ford Health Department of Radiation Oncology
MSU Department of Medicine
Joining Henry Ford + MSU May 2027
Tyler Parsons, Ph.D., studies both solid tumor and hematologic oncology, examining how somatic mutations within the hematopoietic system contribute to cancer development, progression, and therapeutic response across disease contexts. Parsons completed his doctorate at Oakland University and the Beaumont Research Institute in the Department of Radiation Oncology and was a postdoctoral research fellow in the Stem Cell Section of the Division of Oncology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
These appointments build on the recent recruitment of cancer researchers Eric Mellon, M.D., Ph.D., and Ashly Westrick, Ph.D., reflecting the continued growth of the Henry Ford + MSU Cancer Center.