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Van Andel Institute recruits neuronal cell biology expert Dr. Melissa Hoyer

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Aug. 7, 2024) — Van Andel Institute has recruited neuronal cell biologist Melissa Hoyer, Ph.D., whose innovative research aims to prevent neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.

Hoyer is an expert in the cellular processes that support brain cell health. Her research has revealed important insights into several critical cellular systems required for normal function — and detailed how errors in these vital processes contribute to disease.

As an assistant professor in VAI’s Department of Neurodegenerative Science, she will explore the mechanisms cells use to remove and recycle damaged components, which are defective in Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative disorders. She hopes that these insights will lead to new ways to improve cellular quality control systems and inform prevention strategies.

“I study the building blocks of neurons so we can use this basic knowledge to understand how neurons function and stay healthy,” Hoyer said. “Van Andel Institute provides tremendous resources and a collaborative environment so we can work together to understand diseases at a foundational level.”


Related: Learn more about Dr. Hoyer’s research ➔


Hoyer earned her Ph.D. in molecular, cellular and developmental biology from University of Colorado. Her graduate research detailed previously unknown parts of the cellular recycling system, which is critical for maintaining health and normal function. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School, where she studied a pair of cellular components that play key roles in preventing neurodegenerative diseases. In recognition of her scholarship, she earned a Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation as well as the Jane Coffin Child Fellowship and the Fred and Joan Goldberg Fellowship.