Van Andel Institute (VAI) is a

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...

nonprofit

biomedical research Medical research (or biomedical research), also known as experimental medicine, encompasses a wide array of research, extending from "basic research" (also called ''bench science'' or ''bench research''), – involving fundamental scientif ...

and science education organization in

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the List of municipalities in Mi ...

. VAI was founded by

Jay A jay is a member of a number of species of medium-sized, usually colorful and noisy, passerine birds in the Crow family (biology), family, Corvidae. The evolutionary relationships between the jays and the magpies are rather complex. For examp ...

and Betty Van Andel in 1996. The institute's research focuses on

cancer epigenetics Cancer epigenetics is the study of epigenetics, epigenetic modifications to the DNA of cancer cells that do not involve a change in the nucleotide sequence, but instead involve a change in the way the genetic code is expressed. Epigenetic mechanism ...

and

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

. Its educational efforts support teacher development and science education from early elementary through the doctoral level. David Van Andel, son of Jay and Betty, has served as CEO and chairman of the board since 1996.

Research

Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) scientists study the epigenetic, genetic, cellular and structural basis of cancer and

as well as

osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis (OA) is a type of degenerative joint disease that results from breakdown of joint cartilage and underlying bone which affects 1 in 7 adults in the United States. It is believed to be the fourth leading cause of disability in the w ...

neurofibromatosis type 1 Neurofibromatosis (NF) is a group of three conditions in which tumors grow in the nervous system. The three types are neurofibromatosis type I (NF1), neurofibromatosis type II (NF2), and schwannomatosis. In NF1 symptoms include light brown sp ...

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...

prion Prions are misfolded proteins that have the ability to transmit their misfolded shape onto normal variants of the same protein. They characterize several fatal and transmissible neurodegenerative diseases in humans and many other animals. It ...

diseases,

Ewing sarcoma Ewing sarcoma is a type of cancer that forms in bone or soft tissue. Symptoms may include swelling and pain at the site of the tumor, fever, and a bone fracture. The most common areas where it begins are the legs, pelvis, and chest wall. In about ...

and other conditions. As of 2017, VARI employed 32 faculty and more than 250 people.

Center for Epigenetics

The Center for Epigenetics was established in 2014 and is led by Peter Jones. Scientists in the Center focus on identifying epigenetic mechanisms in health and disease states, and translating their findings into new treatments for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

Center for Neurodegenerative Science

The Center for Neurodegenerative Science was established in 2012 and is led by Patrik Brundin. The center primarily investigates the underlying causes of Parkinson's disease.

Center for Cancer and Cell Biology

The Center for Cancer and Cell Biology is led by Bart Williams. It is the largest center at the institute.

Core Technologies and Services

The institute's laboratories are supported by a Core Technologies and Services group that comprises eight shared scientific services: *

Bioinformatics Bioinformatics () is an interdisciplinary field that develops methods and software tools for understanding biological data, in particular when the data sets are large and complex. As an interdisciplinary field of science, bioinformatics combi ...

and

biostatistics Biostatistics (also known as biometry) are the development and application of statistical methods to a wide range of topics in biology. It encompasses the design of biological experiments, the collection and analysis of data from those experime ...

Confocal microscopy Confocal microscopy, most frequently confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) or laser confocal scanning microscopy (LCSM), is an optical imaging technique for increasing optical resolution and contrast of a micrograph by means of using a sp ...

and quantitative imaging *

Cryo-electron microscopy Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is a cryomicroscopy technique applied on samples cooled to cryogenic temperatures. For biological specimens, the structure is preserved by embedding in an environment of vitreous ice. An aqueous sample sol ...

Flow cytometry Flow cytometry (FC) is a technique used to detect and measure physical and chemical characteristics of a population of cells or particles. In this process, a sample containing cells or particles is suspended in a fluid and injected into the flo ...

Genomics Genomics is an interdisciplinary field of biology focusing on the structure, function, evolution, mapping, and editing of genomes. A genome is an organism's complete set of DNA, including all of its genes as well as its hierarchical, three-dim ...

Imaging Imaging is the representation or reproduction of an object's form; especially a visual representation (i.e., the formation of an image). Imaging technology is the application of materials and methods to create, preserve, or duplicate images. ...

Pathology Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in ...

and

biorepository A biorepository is a facility that collects, catalogs, and stores samples of biological material for laboratory research. Biorepositories collect and manage specimens from animals, plants, and other living organisms. Biorepositories store many di ...

Transgenics A genetically modified organism (GMO) is any organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. The exact definition of a genetically modified organism and what constitutes genetic engineering varies, with ...

and

vivarium A vivarium (Latin, literally for "place of life"; plural: ''vivaria'' or ''vivariums'') is an area, usually enclosed, for keeping and raising animals or plants for observation or research. Water-based vivaria may have open tops providing they a ...

In 2017, the institute established the David Van Andel Advanced

Cryo-Electron Microscopy Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is a cryomicroscopy technique applied on samples cooled to cryogenic temperatures. For biological specimens, the structure is preserved by embedding in an environment of vitreous ice. An aqueous sample sol ...

Suite as part of an expansion of its structural biology program. The $10 million investment included the installation of an FEI Titan Krios cryo-electron microscope, a Talos Arctica cryo-electron microscope and a Tecnai Spirit G2 BioTWIN screening microscope. The institute also houses a

College of American Pathologists The College of American Pathologists (CAP) is a member-based physician organization founded in 1946 comprising approximately 18,000 board-certified pathologists. It serves patients, pathologists, and the public by fostering and advocating ...

-accredited Biorepository that contains more than one million formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded blocks.

Large-Scale Collaborations

Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing (GRAM) was founded in 2010 by Van Andel Institute and

Grand Valley State University Grand Valley State University (GVSU, GV, or Grand Valley) is a public university in Allendale, Michigan. It was established in 1960 as Grand Valley State College. Its main campus is situated on approximately west of Grand Rapids. The universit ...

. Much of GRAM's initial funding was through angel investment that generated $5 million in 2010 and another $2 million in 2013. In September 2014, the institute partnered with The Cure Parkinson's Trust on its Linked Clinical Trials initiative, which investigates repurposed drugs for use as disease-modifying treatments for Parkinson's. LCT has supported trials in ambroxol, exenatide, simvastatin, liraglutide, and others. In October, the institute announced a partnership with

Stand Up To Cancer Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C) is a charitable program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF). SU2C aims to raise significant funds for translational cancer research through online and televised efforts. Central to the program is a telethon tha ...

to form the VARI–SU2C Epigenetics Dream Team, a multi-institutional collaboration to translate potential epigenetic treatments for cancer into clinical trials. The team is led by Jones and Stephen Baylin, M.D co-head of the Cancer Biology Program at Johns Hopkins University's Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center. It has launched six clinical trials in cancers, including metastatic colorectal cancer, myelodysplastic syndrome, acute myeloid leukemia, non-small cell lung cancer, and bladder cancer.

Research Leadership

In 1999, George Vande Woude, joined VARI as its founding research director. He previously served as director of the Basic Research Program at the Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center as well as the director for the Division of Basic Sciences at the

National Cancer Institute The National Cancer Institute (NCI) coordinates the United States National Cancer Program and is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is one of eleven agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ...

. In the early 1980s, Vande Woude's laboratory discovered the human MET

oncogene An oncogene is a gene that has the potential to cause cancer. In tumor cells, these genes are often mutated, or expressed at high levels.

, which is now an important target in the development of anti-cancer drugs. He stepped down from his post as research director in 2009 to devote more time to his research. He was a Distinguished Scientific Fellow at VARI and was a fellow of the

National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...

and the

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an American international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific respons ...

. Vande Woude was succeeded by Jeffrey Trent, who served a dual role as research director at VARI and at Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) in Phoenix, Arizona. Trent founded TGen in 2002 after 10 years at the National Human Genome Research Institute, a part of the National Institutes of Health. He left VARI in 2012 to lead TGen full-time. In 2013, Peter Jones, was named as the institute's chief scientific officer after 37 years at the University of Southern California, where he most recently served as director of USC's Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center from 1993 to 2011. Jones's work helped established the field of epigenetics, particularly his seminal 1980 discovery that DNA methylation impacts gene expression and cellular differentiation. He is past president of the American Association for Cancer Research and is an elected fellow of the

, the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and ...

, the

and the American Association for Cancer Research Academy. Jones also serves as director of the institute's Center for Epigenetics.

Education

Van Andel Education Institute (VAEI), founded in 1996, provides kindergarten to 12th-grade inquiry-based science education programs for students, and sustained professional development programs and instructional tools for educators.

Leadership

Gordon Van Wylen was appointed director of VAEI in 1996. Before serving as director of VAEI, Van Wylen was elected dean of the Engineering Department at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

in 1965 and later served as president of

Hope College Hope College is a private Christian liberal arts college in Holland, Michigan. It was originally opened in 1851 as the Pioneer School by Dutch immigrants four years after the community was first settled. The first freshman college class matricul ...

Holland, Michigan Holland is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, which is fed by the Macatawa River (formerly known locally as the Black River). ...

, from 1972 to 1987. Gordon Van Harn was appointed director of VAEI in 2001 and served in this capacity until 2009. Van Harn was also an Emeritus Provost and Professor of Biology at

Calvin College Calvin University, formerly Calvin College, is a private Christian university in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1876, Calvin University is an educational institution of the Christian Reformed Church and stands in the Reformed (Calvinist) ...

. Marcia Bishop was appointed associate director of VAEI in 2004. She served in this role until 2011 when Jim Nicolette was appointed to the position of associate director. Steven J. Triezenberg served as director of VAEI between 2009 and 2015. Triezenberg previously served as a faculty member of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...

for more than 18 years. Terra Tarango was appointed director of VAEI in 2016. Tarango previously held the position of president of Staff Development for Educators (SDE), a professional development company in New Hampshire, from 2012 to 2016. Tarango also designed print and digital curriculum for kindergarten through 12th-grade students at

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (; HMH) is an American publisher of textbooks, instructional technology materials, assessments, reference works, and fiction and non-fiction for both young readers and adults. The company is based in the Financial Dist ...

Student programs

VAEI's student programs for kindergarten through 12th grade students include: * Summer Camps * Field Experience * High School Journal Club * Out of-School Time Cohort * Science on Saturday

Teacher professional development

VAEI designs and provides professional development workshops and instructional tools for kindergarten through twelfth grade teachers. Materials include downloadable lesson plans, interactive student journals, and classroom resources.

Science education tools

In 2015, VAEI launched NexGen Inquiry, a web-based instructional tool designed to help students and teachers meet

Next Generation Science Standards The Next Generation Science Standards is a multi-state effort in the United States to create new education standards that are "rich in content and practice, arranged in a coherent manner across disciplines and grades to provide all students an inter ...

(NGSS) as well as other state benchmarks, and provides teachers with the tools they need to incorporate inquiry-based learning in their classrooms.

Van Andel Institute Graduate School

Van Andel Institute Graduate School (VAIGS) offers an accredited . program in cell and molecular genetics that is designed to foster problem-based thinking and research leadership. VAIGS also offers an M.D./ . program in partnership with

Michigan State University College of Human Medicine The Michigan State University College of Human Medicine (MSUCHM) is an academic division of Michigan State University (MSU), and grants the Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree. CHM was founded in 1964 as the first community-integrated medical school ...

and

Western Michigan University Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. Bliss for the training of teachers ...

Homer Stryker M.D. Medical School. VAIGS was founded in 2005 under the leadership of then-VAEI director Gordon Van Harn, . The first graduating class was in 2012. VAIGS was accredited by the HLC on November 12, 2013. Steven J. Triezenberg, was named the founding dean in 2006.

Purple Community

Purple Community, founded in 2009, is Van Andel Institute's grassroots community awareness and fundraising program. Purple Community helps individuals and organizations create fundraising events to support biomedical research and science education at Van Andel Institute.

Architecture

Van Andel Institute is located on the

Grand Rapids Medical Mile Grand Rapids Medical Mile is a designated area within the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Grand Rapids, Michigan. It began with medical-related development in the Hillside District of Grand Rapids, Michigan, bordering both sides of Michigan Street ...

. Its 400,000 square foot building was designed by architect

Rafael Viñoly Rafael Viñoly Beceiro (born 1944) is a Uruguayan architect. He is the principal of Rafael Viñoly Architects, which he founded in 1983. The firm has offices in New York City, Palo Alto, London, Manchester, Abu Dhabi, and Buenos Aires. Viñ ...

and was constructed in two phases; the first phase was completed in 2000 and second phase opened in December 2009. It includes 27,500 square feet of laboratory space, 71,000 square feet of laboratory support space, a demonstration lab, an auditorium and on-site cafeteria. The institute's Phase II was awarded Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum status by the

United States Green Building Council The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), co-founded by Mike Italiano, David Gottfried and Rick Fedrizzi in 1993, is a private 501(c)3, membership-based non-profit organization that promotes sustainability in building design, construction, and op ...

in 2011. The lobby features a 14-foot tall glass sculpture called "Life" created by

Dale Chihuly Dale Chihuly () (born September 20, 1941) is an American glass artist and entrepreneur. He is best known in the field of blown glass, "moving it into the realm of large-scale sculpture". Early life Dale Patrick Chihuly was born on September 20 ...

designed to be an artistic representation of a DNA double helix.

References

{{authority control Cancer organizations based in the United States Medical research institutes in the United States Genetics or genomics research institutions Medical and health organizations based in Michigan Organizations established in 1996 Independent research institutes Research institutes in Michigan