August 30, 2010
One of the hardest cancers to diagnose is pancreatic cancer. Usually by the time it is found patients only have months to live.
August 28, 2010
A Grand Rapids-based car club is helping in the fight against cancer.
August 27, 2010
Van Andel Institute (VAI) announces four new staff members: Dr. Scott Jewell, Director of the Program for Biospecimen Science, Dr. Jianfeng Xu, Director of the Program for Genetic Epidemiology, Dr. Matthew Steensma, Scientific Investigator and head of the Laboratory of Musculoskeletal Oncology, and Dan Rohrer, Operations Director for the Program for Biospecimen Science. The Institute also welcomes Dr. Thomas J. Haas as a new member of the VAI Graduate School Board of Directors.
August 18, 2010
Shelley Irwin interviews Steve Triezenberg, Ph.D., Van Andel Research Institute Scientific Investigator, VAI Graduate School Dean, and Van Andel Education Institute Director.
August 05, 2010
Purple was the color of choice at Wednesday's West Michigan Whitecaps game at Fifth Third Ballpark.
August 02, 2010
On Wednesday, August 4, the West Michigan Whitecaps will host a Community for a Cure purple night to support cancer research at Van Andel Institute (VAI), raise awareness, and celebrate the schools and communities that have raised more than $130,000 for cancer research since April 2009 through Community for a Cure Purple Games.
July 27, 2010
Cancer patients in West Michigan will soon have the opportunity to access new drugs being developed to fight their disease due to a partnership being formed in Grand Rapids.
July 27, 2010
The Van Andel Institute, Spectrum Health and Cancer & Hematology Centers of Western Michigan have teamed up to bring Phase 1 first-in-human, anti-cancer drug trials to Grand Rapids.
July 27, 2010
Fighting cancer can be one of the toughest battles to win - especially when it seems as though a patient has exhausted all treatment options, but a new partnership in Grand Rapids is about to change that.
July 22, 2010
Van Andel Institute (VAI) has recently received two distinct honors. The Institute was named one of the top Best Places to Work in Academia by The Scientist magazine, and received a national Award of Distinction for Best Documentary by the Communicator Awards.
July 14, 2010
Rock n’ Rally for Hope is a raffle for a 2010 Harley-Davidson® Dyna® Wide Glide® valued at $15,000 that supports cancer research at Van Andel Institute (VAI), a Grand Rapids-based bioresearch institute where basic research is leading to improved treatments for cancer and a host of other diseases. 100% of the proceeds from the Rock n’ Rally for Hope raffle will benefit cancer research at Van Andel Institute.
July 09, 2010
Michigan workers have faced worst-in-the-nation job loss over the last decade, but a scientific magazine says for those working in academia, Grand Rapids has two of the top ten spots across the U.S.
July 08, 2010
The Van Andel Institute, Calvin College, Michigan State University and Wayne State University all ranked in The Scientist magazine’s 40 “Best Places to Work in Academia in 2010.”
July 07, 2010
As Grand Rapids, Mich. continues to shed manufacturing jobs, the city is opening up to opportunities in health care.
June 24, 2010
Van Andel Institute Distinguished Scientific Fellow and Founding Research Director George Vande Woude, Ph.D., is the recipient of the ninth annual Daniel Nathans Memorial Award presented in a ceremony today at Van Andel Institute (VAI).
June 24, 2010
Internationally known for advancing cancer research, scientist George Vande Woude has received his share of awards, but he says none is more special than today's honor.
June 24, 2010
Van Andel Institute Distinguished Scientific Fellow and Founding Research Director George Vande Woude, Ph.D., was the recipient of the ninth annual Daniel Nathans Memorial Award presented in a ceremony at the Grand Rapids-based research facility.
June 23, 2010
Nearly 3,000 people every year get diagnosed with a form of liver cancer called cholangiocarcinoma. The prognosis for the disease is not good with survival rate of less than five percent.But new research done here in West Michigan may one day help patients with the disease. Dr. Bin Teh with the Van Andel Research Institute talks more about it.
June 18, 2010
Approximately 350 life science professionals and students in Grand Rapids today will explore the origins of cancer with leading national cancer researchers at Van Andel Institute’s 2nd annual Origins of Cancer symposium. Among the presenters is Dr. Janet Rowley, 1998 winner of the Lasker Award, popularly referred to as “America’s Nobel.”
June 17, 2010
Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) announced today that it has reached a licensing agreement for its XenoBase software system with Intervention Insights, a Grand Rapids-based company formed in 2009 with investments from more than a dozen local investors. The company was created to compete in the emerging personalized medicine industry by supporting community oncologists with personalized treatment options for aggressive cancer patients.
June 16, 2010
Pancreatic cancer is one of the top four most deadly cancers.
June 15, 2010
Researchers at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), the Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) and the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare have discovered a biomarker that could help in the treatment of patients with an aggressive type of lung cancer.
June 08, 2010
In collaboration with the National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) researchers have identified an enzyme that could help diagnose and treat cholangiocarcinoma, a form of liver cancer that strikes up to 3,000 new patients each year in the United States.
June 03, 2010
Working with researchers from the University of Michigan and Indiana University, Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) investigators have developed a method that could be used to predict whether pancreatic cysts are benign or are precursors to invasive cancer.
June 02, 2010
Obesity and aging baby boomers are driving demand for hip and knee replacements, and a discovery by a Grand Rapids-based researcher could provide relief for pain sufferers and economic promise for the region.
May 18, 2010
The Phoenix-based Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is partnering with the Van Andel Research Institute in Michigan to study cancers in dogs. The goal is to find ways to improve the health of both dogs and people. President and Research Director for TGen Dr. Jeffrey Trent talks about the research project.
May 13, 2010
Last Friday a small knot of local science teachers huddled around an aquarium in a downtown Grand Rapids laboratory to put the finishing touches on a five-star hotel for pill bugs -- those little critters that roll into balls when given a gentle nudge.
May 12, 2010
It is not the kind of view you expect these days in downtrodden Michigan. From this rooftop plaza on the 17th floor of Bridgewater Place, evidence of urban renewal spreads in every direction. Directly to the south is the modern campus of Grand Valley State University, home to 11,000 students. Across the Grand River lies the sprawl of the redeveloped entertainment district, with its new arena and convention center, steps away from downtown business and government office buildings. Atop a hill to the east is the city's crown jewel: a $1 billion (and growing) medical complex that includes a cancer research center, specialized treatment facilities, and a medical school.
May 11, 2010
Van Andel Institute’s Community for a Cure Purple Games initiative is finishing the 2009-2010 school year with a flurry of activities, celebrating some important milestones, and raising awareness and thousands of dollars for local cancer research at Van Andel Research Institute (VARI).
May 04, 2010
The Van Andel Education Institute’s Science Academy is hosting a series of events to celebrate National Lab Day, a nationwide initiative to build local communities of support for science and bring inquiry-based science experiences to K-12 students.
April 29, 2010
Forest Hills Central Middle School held a Community for a Cure purple track event, "Stomp Cancer One Step at a Time," on Tuesday, April 27, 2010, to support cancer research at Van Andel Institute (VAI). Forest Hills Central was the first middle school to participate in the program. The event raised $4,000.
April 21, 2010
Van Andel Institute announces two new additions: José Cárdenas has been appointed to the Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) Board of Trustees, and Mark Neff, Ph.D., has been appointed scientific investigator and director of the Center for Canine Health and Performance.
April 21, 2010
Doggie drool just might be part of a treatment for cancer some day. In fact, the DNA dripping from man’s best friend’s tongue could hold the key to curing rare canine and human malignancies, according to FoxNews.com.
April 16, 2010
Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) Scientific Investigator Cindy Miranti. Ph.D. is being honored today, April 16, as the 2010 Outstanding Graduate Advisor for Michigan State University’s College of Natural Science.
April 16, 2010
Picture a border collie herding sheep, enacting its natural impulse. Might the trait bred into the dog for centuries provide a clue to the cause of human addiction?
April 15, 2010
Fido’s wet licks might hold more than love. They could provide the DNA keys to findings new treatments for rare cancers and other diseases in both dogs and human patients.
April 12, 2010
Jim Mason, Van Andel Institute senior scientific investigator, shared this advice recently on how to carve out a career in life sciences and medicine.
April 02, 2010
Van Andel Institute researchers have identified how two proteins that promote the growth of prostate cancer cells interact, a finding that could be used to develop treatment options for the disease.
April 01, 2010
Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) scientists have determined how two proteins required for the initiation and development of prostate cancer interact at the molecular level, which could lead to improved treatments for the disease.
April 01, 2010
Article about engaging students in science features programs from the Van Andel Education Institute Science Academy.
April 01, 2010
Article about Van Andel Institute features the Institute's work in education.
March 18, 2010
David Van Andel, Chairman and CEO of Van Andel Institute, announces the following executive staff changes and promotions effective March 15, 2010...
March 12, 2010
Michigan researchers working on ways to conquer prostate cancer will soon be able to apply for grant money from the state.
March 11, 2010
Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) researchers have developed a new method to better study the cells that line and protect the prostate in relation to the development of cancer. Using the model, they found that normal cells and cancer cells depend on different factors to survive, which could aid in discovering how to target cancer cells without affecting normal cells when developing treatments.
March 10, 2010
Cancer is a worldwide crisis. With help from the Van Andel Institute we can help eliminate cancer not only here in Michigan or in the United States but everywhere. If you knew someone personally with cancer, wouldn’t you give all the time and money in the world just to help them? The Van Andel Institute doesn’t just need time, they need money. Donating isn’t just about giving money, it is about letting people know you and other people around them care.
March 02, 2010
Two local basketball teams will hit the court Tuesday night and they are looking to score some money for cancer research.
February 27, 2010
Results of a Van Andel Institute study on resistance to kidney cancer treatment "is going to be huge," said a local doctor who helped write the findings published this month.
February 19, 2010
Students, administrators and fans are turning purple for tonight’s girls and boys basketball doubleheader for a cause — supporting the search for a cure to cancer.
February 19, 2010
Cancer survivor Gregg Kirchen paused for a few seconds as he looked at all the purple reigning inside Holland High School’s gymnasium Friday.
February 17, 2010
Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) researchers have found a way to reverse resistance to sunitinib, a treatment that is currently the first line of defense against clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), a deadly form of kidney cancer. Most patients who show a positive response to sunitinib develop a resistance to the drug after one year of treatment.
February 10, 2010
$68,000. That's how much was raised at the Winterfest Celebration just a year ago - and this year's big event is hoping to raise even more. The funds go to support research at the Van Andel Institute, one of the world's premiere institutions working to cure Parkinson's and other diseases. Rachael and Terri have your invite to one of the hottest nights this winter - all for an amazing cause.
February 08, 2010
See how students at Reeths-Puffer High School and Zeeland High School are stepping up to the plate to raise money for cancer research at the Van Andel Institute.
February 08, 2010
We sat down with Dave Van Andel, Chairman and CEO of the Van Andel Institute, to hear about the amazing research happening inside.
February 08, 2010
Dr. Steven Triezenberg took us behind closed doors to see what scientists are working on this labs at the Van Andel Institute.
February 08, 2010
Along with research, the Van Andel Institute prides itself on education. They have programs for children starting at the third grade level and go all the way through college.
February 06, 2010
Davenport University and Hope College are holding a Community for a Cure purple hockey event, "Hockey Fighting Cancer," to support cancer research at Van Andel Institute (VAI).
February 03, 2010
Van Andel Institute (VAI) announces the hiring of two new staff members: Jim Mason, Ph.D., has joined VAI as senior scientific investigator heading the Laboratory of Orthopaedic Cell and Tissue Mechanics and John Bender, Pharm.D., was recently named Clinical Operations Director. Dr. Mason’s position is a joint appointment between VAI and Spectrum Health, which is helping to fund the Translational Orthopaedic Research Program to foster long-term solutions for patients in the area of orthopaedics.
January 28, 2010
Schools around West Michigan are helping support cancer research at the Van Andel Institute as part of their Community for a Cure campaign.
January 27, 2010
Last Friday night, there were more than 3,300 people packed into the Rockets’ fieldhouse, partially to watch R-P play Holland, but partially for a much more important reason.
January 26, 2010
The Hudsonville wrestling team is hosting a cancer benefit Wednesday during its home meet against West Ottawa, beginning at 7 p.m.
January 25, 2010
Monday, the Grand Rapids Business Journal presented its Newsmaker of the Year Award. The Van Andel Institute is the 2009 winner of the annual award.
January 13, 2010
A breakthrough by Van Andel Institute scientists in the most common form of kidney cancer opens the doors for more in-depth research and, ultimately, a way to specifically tailor a patient's treatment, doctors say.
January 13, 2010
It's another splash of fame for researchers along downtown's Medical Mile: work in plant biology by Van Andel Research Institute scientists has been named by Science magazine as one of the Top 10 breakthroughs of 2009.
January 11, 2010
Some teenage swimmers are diving head first into the fight against cancer.
January 11, 2010
The Zeeland High School men's swimming and diving team is helping fund research at the Van Andel Institute with their campaign, "Kick Cancer, One Stroke at a Time."
January 05, 2010
The Zeeland boys swimming and diving team, along with their families and fans, have raised more than $16,700 for cancer research.
January 01, 2010
What a difference 41 years and more than $1 billion dollars make.
January 01, 2010
Article about Van Andel Institute affiliate TGen talks about how the relationship between the two organizations benefits patients.
