Dr. Peter Jones arrived in Grand Rapids with a vision: build Van Andel Institute into one of the world’s premier research organizations.
More than a decade has passed since then and, by any measure, Jones has surpassed his goal. VAI has nearly doubled its number of labs since 2014, recruiting renowned scientists and rising-star early-career researchers who routinely earn recognition for their work. The Institute has become known worldwide as a leader in cancer epigenetics, a growing field Jones pioneered. Perhaps most telling, the Nature Index, which measures institutional research output, ranked VAI no. 5 among North American nonprofit/nongovernmental research organizations in biological sciences in 2025. Globally, VAI ranked no. 17.
“Joining the Institute was the chance of a lifetime,” Jones said. “It was an opportunity to take an organization with tremendous potential and elevate it to the next level in a way that makes a real impact on science and human health.”
In February, Jones returned to the lab full time after serving as chief scientific officer since 2014, and as president of the Institute and its Graduate School since 2024. His impact on the Institute set the stage for a bright future, one built on innovation, collaboration and world-class science.
“Peter Jones is an exceptional scientist and a visionary leader,” said VAI Chairman and CEO David Van Andel. “An epigenetics pioneer, he leveraged his high-impact research and global reputation to create a hub of scientific excellence. He recruited brilliant faculty, built extensive collaborations and ultimately put VAI on the scientific map. Thanks to his efforts, the Institute is recognized as a research powerhouse and connector that brings people together to make a difference.”
The Institute’s next steps are possible because of Jones’s contributions, said Dr. Jonathan D. Licht, who succeeded Jones as president and chief scientific officer.
“Thanks to Peter’s vision and focus on excellence, VAI has developed a world-class faculty that produces new paradigm-changing findings published in the world’s leading journals. Through efforts such as the Van Andel Institute–Stand Up To Cancer® Epigenetics Dream Team and International Linked Clinical Trials Program, breakthroughs are being translated to impact human health. As a result, VAI has entered the top tier of independent biomedical research institutions,” Licht said. “Peter’s extraordinary efforts have set the Institute up for sustained impact and future success. It’s an honor to continue growing this outstanding Institute.”
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
Jones first visited VAI as an invited speaker in 2012. A year earlier, he closed out an 18-year run as director of the Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center at University of Southern California, a place that had been his scientific home since 1977.
His 2012 trip to VAI ended up offering more than he expected: a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform a fledgling research institute into a scientific powerhouse. At the time, VAI was searching for a new chief scientific officer, and Jones’s leadership experience and scientific acumen fit the bill.
“VAI had incredible resources and a strong start thanks to the generosity and vision of the Van Andel family and the work of Founding Research Director Dr. George Vande Woude,” Jones recalled. “We had a chance to develop the Institute into a world leader in cancer epigenetics and that’s what we did.”
Epigenetics ensure the right genetic instructions are used at the right time without changing the DNA sequence itself. These important processes influence virtually every aspect of health and, when errors occur, can contribute to diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s and metabolic disorders.
Jones wasted no time making epigenetics a focus when he officially became chief scientific officer in 2014. The first order of business? Recruit a critical mass of epigenetics experts. In the years that followed, Jones established the Institute’s Department of Epigenetics and grew it into a group of more than a dozen labs.
At the same time, VAI further bolstered other areas of strength by recruiting faculty in neurodegenerative science, cell biology and structural biology. The Institute created a wholly new department focused on metabolism and nutrition research, attracting both established and early-career scientists, and installed a state-of-the-art suite of microscopes that visualize molecules at the near-atomic level.
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This immense growth was reflected in the Institute’s research output: in 2025 alone, VAI scientists published 141 peer-reviewed research papers that shed critical new light on health and disease, a nearly 50% increase from 2013.
Jones credits the Institute’s success to its people: a deeply dedicated leadership team, mission-driven employees and a passionate community of supporters.
“People need to feel a sense of belonging and to see how they fit into the big picture,” Jones said. “Every single person that works at the Institute, that attends an event, that supports our mission makes breakthroughs possible.”
A team effort
When he joined VAI, Jones brought more than just his expertise — he introduced a novel way to translate discoveries made in the lab into clinical care for people with cancer. In 2014, the Institute partnered with Stand Up To Cancer® to establish the Van Andel Institute–Stand Up To Cancer® Epigenetics Dream Team, which unites leading scientists, physicians and industry partners to support clinical trials for potential new cancer treatments. Jones and longtime collaborator Dr. Stephen Baylin had led an earlier iteration of the team. At VAI, Jones saw the opportunity to continue this important work.
The impact has been immense. As of February 2026, the VAI–SU2C Epigenetics Dream Team has launched 15 clinical trials in cancer, encompassing more than 800 participants. Scientists on the team also have used data from the trials to make new discoveries that could help improve cancer treatment.
This spirit of teamwork infused every aspect of VAI’s work under Jones’s leadership. From small-scale collaborations between individual labs to large-scale team science initiatives, the Institute now has a reputation as a connector, both in Grand Rapids and beyond.
“We can do more together than we ever can do alone,” Jones said. “VAI is a catalyst for collaboration. We see a problem, we figure out who needs to be part of the solution and we make it happen.”
Back to the lab
As his time as VAI’s president and chief scientific officer came to an end, Jones was ready to take the next step. Thankfully, it was a familiar one. He returned to his lab in VAI’s Department of Epigenetics full time, overseeing research at the forefront of cancer epigenetics. He plans to continue pursuing discoveries that impact human health, a lifelong mission that started at 13 years old in a homemade lab in his parents’ garage.
As VAI has grown, so too has the recognition of Jones’s work. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, all within the past decade. He and Baylin, along with Johns Hopkins University’s Dr. Andrew Feinberg, were awarded the Harvey Prize in Science and Technology, an honor widely considered to be a precursor to the Nobel Prize. Each of these honors reflects a career steeped in impact and dedicated to discovery. As he settles into his new role, the thing Jones is most excited about is finding answers to “big scientific questions that have been puzzling me for years.”
“When I wake up in the morning and look in the mirror, I see a scientist,” Jones said. “I’m the luckiest person in the world because I’m able to pursue my lifelong dream.”