New Board Member and Scientific Investigator Join Van Andel Institute

Grand Rapids, Mich. (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.

Cárdenas is Chairman of the Board for the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and is Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Arizona State University. Previously, Cárdenas was a partner at the law firm Lewis and Roca. He has an AV ("Preeminent Attorney") rating from Martindale-Hubbell, is listed in the 2007, 2008 and 2009 editions of Southwest Super Lawyers and in the 2009 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, by Woodward/White, Aiken, S.C. In 1995, he was elected to membership in the prestigious American Law Institute, and he is a member of The Fellows of the American Bar Foundation. Cárdenas has also been recognized for his many community activities including his selection in 2000 as the recipient of the Mexican government's Ohtli award given to U.S. residents of Mexican descent in recognition of their service to Mexican communities in the United States.

Dr. Neff will work both at VARI and at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) in Arizona. His work at VARI will focus on developing genetic screens, diagnostic tests, and treatments for rare human cancers by studying these cancers in dogs using samples donated by pet owners through veterinarians. The research has been endorsed by the American Kennel Club and the Morris Animal Foundation. Dr. Neff previously served as associate director of the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory at the University of California, Davis.