A message from George Vande Woude, VARI Director

The Van Andel Institute founding vision is to improve human health.  When I joined Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) from the National Cancer Institute in 1999, I embraced the vision and focused it on cancer research. 

In the last half century, science has developed the knowledge and tools to unravel the mysteries of living organisms at the molecular level.  The disciplines of genetics, biochemistry, structural and molecular biology, and informatics, coupled with ingeniously designed equipment that can analyze genes and their protein products, now make it possible to identify the molecular basis of disease.  

With the groundbreaking work we have conducted since the Institute opened its doors in 2000, VARI now stands poised to exploit this knowledge and develop new approaches to treat – and prevent – cancer.   

Our research programs in basic sciences will improve our understanding of the cancer process and its applications to other diseases.  We also conduct a strong set of special programs, including antibody technology, bioinformatics, imaging, transgenics, and proteomics, that give us a wide variety of technical approaches to the scientific questions we seek to answer.  And, whether the work is done entirely in our own labs or in collaboration with scientists around the world, our long-term commitment to translation of basic science discoveries into therapeutic strategies for attacking cancer will have enormous implications for what will happen at the medical bedside in years to come.

Van Andel Institute Graduate School is a vital component in implementing our founding vision.  Students here will contribute to research into the molecular diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease and will leave prepared to push forward the frontiers of molecular medicine.