Faculty and Research

Our faculty is primarily made up of Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) investigators, each of whom have a Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent academic degree and a distinguished record of scholarship and contributions to the scientific community.

Adjunct faculty members may supplement the permanent faculty. These may include visiting scientists from other research institutes, faculty members from local colleges or universities, postdoctoral fellows at VARI, or practicing professionals.

Meet the Faculty

Click on a laboratory link to learn more about a faculty member’s research.

art alberts

Arthur Alberts, Ph.D. - Laboratory of Cell Structure and Signal Integration
Rho small GTP-binding proteins and their effectors in support of cell structure in normal cells and in malignancy
Biographical Sketch - E-mail

john bender John Bender, Pharm.D.
Design of Phase I-III Clinical trials; interactions with pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry; liaison to VARI laboratories and TGen clinical program
Biographical Sketch - E-mail
anthony chang Anthony Chang, Ph.D. - Small Animal Imaging Facility
Developing pre-clinic small animal imaging technology for different applications on various modalities. Translational cancer molecular imaging, in vivo antibody imaging, and imaging analysis methods.
Biographical Sketch - E-mail
nick duesbery Nicholas Duesbery, Ph.D. - Laboratory of Cancer and Developmental Cell Biology
MEK signaling in tumor biology, therapeutic approaches to sarcoma and melanoma and therapeutic potential of anthrax lethal factor
Biographical Sketch - E-mail
kyle furge Kyle Furge, Ph.D. - Laboratory of Computational Biology
Gene expression microarray analysis, analysis of large data sets and cluster (grid) computing infrastructure
Biographical Sketch
- E-mail
carrie graveel Carrie Graveel, Ph.D.
MET signaling, RTK signaling in breast cancer progression and therapeutic resistance, mouse models, targeted therapeutic approaches to breast cancer
Biographical Sketch - E-mail
giovanna guerrero-medina Giovanna Guerrero-Medina, Ph.D.
Science policy, science administration, and the engagement of diverse populations in research
Biographical Sketch - E-mail
brian haab Brian Haab, Ph.D. - Laboratory of Cancer Immunodiagnostics
Microarray-based protein analysis methods, cancer-induced changes to blood proteins, pancreatic and prostate cancer diagnostics and extracellular protein-protein interactions
Biographical Sketch - E-mail
jeff mackeigan Jeff MacKeigan, Ph.D. - Laboratory of Systems Biology
Ras/MAPK and PI3K/mTOR pathways, mathematical modeling of signaling pathways, non–small cell lung cancer and breast cancer, kinase and phosphorylase effects on cell survival
Biographical Sketch
E-mail
karsten melcher Karsten Melcher, Ph.D. - Laboratory of Structural Biology and Biochemistry
Crystal structures of receptors and signaling proteins/ protein complexes, including AMP-kinase, ABA signaling, and nuclear receptors
Biographical Sketch - E-mail
cindy miranti

Cindy Miranti, Ph.D. - Laboratory of Integrin Signaling and Tumorigenesis
Integrin interactions and signal transduction, prostate cancer tumorigenesis and metastasis, integrins in prostate epithelial cell survival and CD82 and prostate cancer metastasis
Biographical Sketch
E-mail

mark neff

Mark Neff, Ph.D. - Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Canine Behavior
Canine neurogenetics, evolution of mammalian behavior, neurological and psychiatric disorders in the dog
Biographical Sketch
- E-mail

matt steensma

Matt Steensma, M.D. – Laboratory of Musculoskeletal Oncology
The role of Wnt signaling and tumor pressure in osteosarcoma pathogenesis, genetic mouse models of osteosarcoma, translational sarcoma studies
Biographical Sketch - E-mail

jeff trent

Jeffrey Trent, Ph.D., F.A.C.M.G. – Laboratory of Genome Biology
Development and application of ultra high-throughput next-generation technologies, identification of genes that increase disease susceptibility, molecular studies of gene function
Biographical Sketch - E-mail

steve triezenberg

Steven Triezenberg, Ph.D. - Laboratory of Transcriptional Regulation
Regulation of eukaryotic gene expression, transcriptional activation, chromatin modification, herpes simplex virus infection
Biographical SketchE-mail

julie davis turner Julie Davis Turner, Ph.D.
VAIGS Assistant Dean working with curriculum, faculty development, and student affairs; laboratory focus on cell biology of hematopoietic differentiation, including cell-cell interactions, tumor immunology, and immunophenotyping cellular responses
Biographical Sketch - E-mail
george vande woude

George Vande Woude, Ph.D. - Laboratory of Molecular Oncology
Met oncogene expression/overexpression, HGF/SF-induced proliferation and invasion, Met-expressing transgenic mice, geldanamycin effects on glioma cell invasion and MAPK signaling in melanoma
Biographical Sketch - E-mail

craig webb

Craig Webb, Ph.D. - Program of Translational Medicine
Molecular basis of cancer metastasis, translational informatics, biomarkers and personalized medicine
Biographical SketchE-mail

michael weinreich

Michael Weinreich, Ph.D. - Laboratory of Chromosome Replication
Cdc7p kinase activation of DNA synthesis, cell cycle control of DNA replication and response to DNA damage during S-phase
Biographical SketchE-mail

bart williams

Bart Williams, Ph.D. - Laboratory of Cell Signaling and Carcinogenesis
Lrp5 and Lrp6 function, Wnt signaling in bone development and disease and prostate and breast cancer, osteosarcoma
Biographical SketchE-mail

h. eric xu

H. Eric Xu, Ph.D. - Laboratory of Structural Sciences
X-ray crystallography, nuclear hormone (PPAR, steroid) receptors, Met tyrosine kinase receptor and G-Protein coupled receptors
Biographical SketchE-mail