One of Van Andel Institute's founding principles is to collaborate with local, national, and international scientists and organizations. Collaborations quicken the pace of progress in our research, opening up new avenues and ideas. They allow us to effectively translate our discoveries into therapies that may one day conquer illness and enhance lives. Our collaborations include the following.
Antibody Technology Development Program
VARI's collaboration with Nanjing Medical University (NJMU), China, focuses on the development of antibodies for clinical diagnostic/prognostic and therapeutic applications against cancer and infectious diseases. This has resulted in further collaboration under which VARI Senior Scientific Investigator Brian Cao, M.D., serves as co-director of the NJMU Ministry of Health Key Laboratory of Antibody Technology and VARI accepts NJMU Ph.D. students for 12- to 24-month research assignments in its labs.
Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM)
Through the Center for Molecular Medicine 
, Van Andel Institute and Spectrum Health offer technologies for investigation of complex diseases like cancer, heart disease, mental illness, and other conditions at the DNA, RNA, and protein levels.
ClinXus
ClinXus is a partnership between several West Michigan healthcare and life science organizations that provides a single point of contact for clinical research clients, patients, and physicians who participate in clinical studies.
Good Manufacturing Practices Facility
VARI and Grand Valley State University (GVSU) have established the Michigan Good Manufacturing Practices facility, which will produce biological agents for early-phase clinical testing. Currently under construction on GVSU's Pew Grand Rapids Campus, this facility will operate under the business name Grand River Aseptic Pharmaceutical Packaging and will serve as a CTA core. (more information)
Graduate Training Programs
VARI has partnered with Michigan State University (MSU) in two graduate training programs: the NIH T-32 Training Program in Hypothesis-Based Biomedical Research for Veterinary Students and the VAI-MSU Graduate School Program.
Grand Rapids Clinical Oncology Program (GRCOP)
Together with GRCOP , VARI is involved in a Phase II clinical trial for treating pancreatic cancer. GRCOP is one of the oldest of the 53 NCI Community Clinical Oncology programs and VARI is an institutional member. This is a unique distinction, as we are the first basic science institute to affiliate with one of these programs.
Pediatric Cancer Fellowship Program
We are partnering with Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in a fellowship program focused on the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric cancer and blood disorders. Helen DeVos Children's Hospital recruits pediatric oncology fellows, whose training includes work in VARI laboratories learning about translational research in cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Translational Research Program
This collaboration with the National Cancer Center, Singapore (NCCS), focuses on the biology behind varying drug responses in Asian versus non-Asian patients with specific types of cancer. The program will operate under the direction of Bin Teh, M.D., Ph.D., and VARI Distinguished Scientific Investigator. (more information)
XB-Biointegration Suite
This central informatics solution from Van Andel Institute and XB TransMed Solutions facilitates the systematic management of pre-clinical, clinical, demographic, biomedical, and molecular information.
Other
VARI is an institutional member of the Association of American Cancer Institutes, which comprises 89 of the leading cancer research institutes in the United States.
VARI is also an institutional member of the Association of Independent Research Institutes, an organization of not-for-profit institutes conducting peer-reviewed research in biomedical and behavioral sciences.
VARI is an institutional member of the Michigan Cancer Consortium (MCC), a group of public, private, and voluntary organizations committed to reducing the human and economic impact of cancer in Michigan. VARI holds a position on the MCC Membership Committee.
