Evelyn M Jiagge, PhD

Biographical Statement

Dr. Jiagge is a physician-scientist at Henry Ford and an associate professor at Michigan State University. She joined Henry Ford in 2019 as an assistant scientist in the Department of Hematology and Oncology and has since advanced her work in basic, translational and clinical research. Her expertise centers on the molecular and genetic drivers of aggressive cancers, with a strong focus on understanding and addressing racial disparities in cancer outcomes.

Dr. Jiagge received her medical training in Ghana and completed her surgical residency through the West African College of Physicians and Surgeons. She later earned her PhD in cancer biology from the University of Michigan, where her research focused on the role of cancer stem cells in aggressive tumor biology. She currently leads the Jiagge Lab at Henry Ford Cancer and serves as Director of Precision Medicine for Aggressive Breast Cancers. In this role, she spearheads a global collaboration between Henry Ford Health and more than 20 institutions across Africa, investigating the impact of genetic ancestry on aggressive cancer biology. In recognition of her contributions to medicine and research, Dr. Jiagge was named a 2024 Healthcare Hero in the Physician category by Crain's Detroit Business.

Research Interests

Dr. Jiagge's research focuses on advancing equitable cancer care through innovation, collaboration and translational science. Her key areas of interest include:

• Cancer health disparity: Developing improved strategies for the screening, diagnosis and treatment of breast and prostate cancers in populations of African ancestry, with an emphasis on aggressive disease subtypes. 
• Clinical trial access: Expanding participation of underrepresented populations in cancer clinical trials. She serves as Principal Investigator of the Participatory Action for Access to Cancer Clinical Trials (PAACT), an initiative aimed at identifying and overcoming institutional and systemic barriers to trial enrollment. 
• Global oncology collaboration: Leading the Precision Medicine for Aggressive/African Breast Cancer (PMABC) initiative, a growing international partnership across more than 20 institutions in Africa. This program focuses on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and works to accelerate discoveries by enabling the sharing of patient data and biospecimens across global networks.

Email: ejiagge1@hfhs.org