When you think about the connections between what we grow on the farm and the health of our families, it’s easy to overlook just how tightly woven those threads really are. Michigan State University’s AgBioResearch is betting that bringing those connections into focus can solve some of the toughest challenges facing growers and communities alike. This week, the organization announced funding for three new projects through its Growing Healthy Together Initiative, a program launched in February 2026 to tackle complex health challenges through research that pulls together agriculture, environmental sustainability, food systems, community resilience and nutrition.
Each of the three selected projects will receive $100,000 in funding over the next two years, with a clear requirement that the work deliver real benefits to the people of Michigan. The projects share a common thread: they look at agriculture, the environment and human health not as separate problems, but as parts of one connected system that can be improved all at once.
The first project, led by Wei Liao, Ph.D., of the MSU Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, takes aim at the persistent problem of food waste while finding a productive use for it. The work centers on an opportunity at Henry Ford Health, where a newly approved biodigester will process source-separated hospital food waste. Liao and his team will study how the nutrient-rich byproducts of that process, known as digestate, can be safely and effectively used in urban agriculture. The result is a circular model that links healthcare operations directly to the soil that grows food for the community, turning what was once discarded into something that nourishes Detroit neighborhoods.
The second project, headed by Jenifer Fenton, Ph.D., of the MSU Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, focuses on the next generation. Called the Urban Health Pipeline, the program uses the MSU Tollgate Farm and Education Center as a living laboratory to connect K-8 students in Southwest Detroit with sustainable agriculture. Students will learn about growing food and good nutrition while also discovering pathways into medical careers. The program brings young people face to face with agricultural and nutrition experts from AgBioResearch and MSU Extension, along with healthcare professionals at Henry Ford Health, with the goal of building the curiosity and confidence those students need to pursue careers in food, agriculture and medicine.
The third project speaks directly to a challenge many dairy producers know well. Led by Chunqi Qian, Ph.D., of the MSU Department of Radiology, the research addresses the reality that Michigan produces more milk than it can sell locally, and shipping the surplus elsewhere can eat into farmers’ profits. At the same time, Alzheimer’s disease, which is closely tied to poor blood flow and inflammation in the brain, remains a serious health crisis across the state. Qian’s team aims to address both problems at once by repurposing extracts from fermented milk into a natural ACE inhibitor, similar to blood pressure medication, that could relax blood vessels, reduce inflammation and improve blood flow to the brain without the side effects of synthetic drugs. If successful, the work could give dairy farmers a profitable new market for excess milk while offering a low-cost, natural tool in the fight against Alzheimer’s.
AgBioResearch Associate Director Kang Xia, Ph.D., who led the request for proposals announced in February, said supporting this kind of interdisciplinary, multi-institutional research sits at the heart of the AgBioResearch mission to advance agriculture, community resilience, environmental sustainability, food systems and nutrition in Michigan and beyond. She also noted that the research aligns with priorities set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“MSU scientists never cease to impress me with the ideas they bring to the table to find solutions to pressing needs in areas related to food, health and the environment,” Xia said. “What these projects show is how these systems are connected, and how the problems being experienced by each of them can be addressed simultaneously through collaborative, cross-disciplinary research. This work gets at the heart of MSU’s land-grant identity and is well aligned with USDA priorities. I’m so excited to see how Michiganders will benefit from it.”
The projects also showcase the growing partnership between MSU and Henry Ford Health. Scott Dulchavsky, M.D., Ph.D., CEO of the Henry Ford Innovation Institute and Surgeon-in-Chief at Henry Ford Health, said the collaboration reflects the goals of Henry Ford Health and Michigan State University Health Sciences, a partnership focused on reimagining how health and wellness are understood and delivered.
“It’s exciting to see the truly innovative collaborations taking place between MSU and Henry Ford Health through these projects,” Dulchavsky said. “These proposals serve as just another example of the impact that’s coming from Henry Ford and MSU Health Sciences, which was designed to grow the health of our state and all those living in it. When world-class institutions come together like this to conduct interdisciplinary research that solves today’s and tomorrow’s problems, we as a state are better for it.”
To qualify for funding, each project had to demonstrate a clear benefit to Michigan and address one or more of the initiative’s objectives, which include integrating food, animal and crop agriculture with human health, promoting environmental health and climate resilience, strengthening community well-being and food access, and enhancing the connections across MSU research, teaching and Extension. For the growers, families and communities these efforts serve, the promise is a future where healthier land and healthier people grow together.
To learn more about the Growing Healthy Together Initiative and the funded projects, visit agbioresearch.msu.edu.