Titles and Affiliations
Associate Professor
Hematology/Oncology
Department of Medicine
Research Area
Uncovering how breast cancer stem cells evade the immune system to survive treatment and drive recurrence in triple-negative breast cancer.
Impact
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most aggressive types of breast cancer, often associated with a higher chance of recurrence, spread, and death. It lacks the three common proteins, estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and HER2, that many breast cancer treatments target, leaving patients with fewer options. While many patients initially respond to chemotherapy, a small group of cells called breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) can survive treatment, self-renew, and drive the cancer’s eventual return and spread. Dr. Jiagge’s prior research identified key biological signals used by these BCSCs and the immune system in TNBC patients, signals that may help cancer cells survive treatment, promote tumor growth, and raise the risk of recurrence.
What’s Next
Dr. Jiagge will use advanced single-cell technologies to examine aggressive breast tumors before and after treatment, tracking how cancer cells and immune cells change over the course of therapy and how they communicate to help tumors survive. She will then test these findings in human breast tumors grown in the laboratory to identify promising new therapeutic targets. By uncovering how TNBC cells evade the immune system to survive treatment and recur, this research aims to open new avenues for therapy and improve outcomes for patients facing this aggressive form of breast cancer.
Biography
Evelyn M. Jiagge, MD, PhD, is an associate professor of hematology/oncology at Henry Ford Health and Michigan State University Health Sciences and holds an adjunct faculty appointment at the University of Michigan. She is director of the Precision Medicine for Aggressive Breast Cancer (PMABC) program, an international collaboration that brings together institutions from across Africa and the United States to study genetic ancestry and cancer. Dr. Jiagge’s research focuses on understanding the molecular and genetic basis of aggressive breast cancer, particularly triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Her laboratory investigates breast cancer stem cell biology, the tumor immune microenvironment, and the role of genetic ancestry in breast cancer biology as well as treatment response. She has developed and characterized patient-derived xenograft (PDX) and organoid models from African American, European American, and continental African patients to study TNBC across populations. Her work has also identified clinically relevant molecular alterations in tumors from individuals with African ancestry, providing new insights into the biology of aggressive breast cancer and potential therapeutic approaches. Dr. Jiagge founded and directed PMABC to foster international collaboration in breast cancer research and strengthen research capacity across Africa. She also serves as chair for basic and translational research for the African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), where she collaborates with investigators across Africa and the United States to advance cancer research, education, and training. In addition to her laboratory and international research, Dr. Jiagge leads the Participatory Action for Access to Clinical Trials (PAACT) project, a community-based participatory research initiative focused on understanding factors that influence Black/African American participation in cancer clinical trials and developing strategies to improve participation.
