Van Andel Institute’s founding Director of Research, Dr. George Vande Woude, receives prestigious scientific award

Grand Rapids, Mich. (Jan. 28, 2014) – Dr. George Vande Woude, Van Andel Institute’s Founding Research Director recently received the Fellowship Award in Biological Science from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) organization. The AAAS bestows this annual award to a select number of scientists who are honored for their meritorious efforts to advance science or its applications.

The AAAS is a non-profit organization with the mission of promoting cooperation among scientists, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting education and outreach initiatives that directly impact human health. It is the world’s most prestigious general scientific society.

In 1999, Dr. Vande Woude was appointed as the first Director of Van Andel Research Institute. In 2009, Dr. Vande Woude stepped down as Director and assumed the title of Distinguished Scientific Fellow, retaining his role as head of the Laboratory of Molecular Oncology.

Dr. Vande Woude is responsible for discovering the human MET oncogene, a groundbreaking therapeutic target utilized in personalized therapies for many virulent cancers.