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John Risinger is joining MSU's College of Human Medicine as director of gynecologic oncology research in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology.

Jack Lipton, Parkinson's researcher in the College of Human Medicine. Courtesy photo

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A recognized leader in the study of gynecologic cancer and a distinguished Parkinson’s disease researcher are joining Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine in Grand Rapids.

John Risinger and Jack Lipton are joining the state’s scientific community thanks in part to the efforts of Spectrum Health and the Van Andel Institute and will greatly enhance medical research in the region, according to Marsha Rappley, dean of the College of Human Medicine.

“The research component of our college’s expansion is beginning to materialize, thanks to the support and collaborative efforts of our partners,” Rappley said. “We have successfully recruited two highly acclaimed, senior investigators with significant funding.”

Risinger joins MSU as director of gynecologic oncology research in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology. He will be responsible for building the gynecologic oncology research group. Funding for women’s reproductive health recruits, including Risinger’s position, was made possible through a partnership with Spectrum Health.

“Research has a critical role at Spectrum Health, so we are pleased to announce this latest step in building a research and health care hub in West Michigan,” said Matt Van Vranken,  president of the Spectrum Health Hospital Group. “These fields of research have the potential to impact the lives of millions of people and we're proud to be part of this effort.”

Risinger formerly served as was director of the women’s cancer program at Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah, Ga.

Lipton will serve as chairperson of the Division of Translational Science and Molecular Medicine for the college and will be responsible for recruiting a team of neuroscientists focusing on Parkinson’s disease. Funding for Lipton’s position was made possible via the Van Andel Institute.

“Van Andel Research Institute is looking forward to the arrival of Dr. Lipton and his team of researchers,” said Jeffrey Trent, president and research director of Van Andel Research Institute and Translational Genomics Research Institute. “The collaborative research environment developing in Grand Rapids should facilitate Dr. Lipton’s efforts to recruit other world-class scientists.”

Lipton currently serves as a professor and director of the Division of Neuropharmacology in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cincinnati.

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Michigan State University has been advancing knowledge and transforming lives through innovative teaching, research and outreach for more than 150 years. MSU is known internationally as a major public university with global reach and extraordinary impact. Its 17 degree-granting colleges attract scholars worldwide who are interested in combining education with practical problem solving.