Metabolism and Nutrition (MeNu) Program
Van Andel Institute’s Metabolism and Nutrition (MeNu) Program is a collaborative effort to understand the impact of diet and nutrition on human health at the molecular level. The program has three main goals:
- Drive progress in the field of metabolism research
- Transform how metabolism and diet are approached in the clinic
- Improve human health
How do we do this?
We equip brilliant scientists with leading technology, crucial collaborators and cutting-edge support to accelerate discoveries — transforming bold ideas into breakthroughs in metabolism. The program is led by Russell Jones, Ph.D., chair of VAI’s Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming.
Questions?
Please contact MeNu Program Manager Kelsey Williams, Ph.D., at [email protected].
Technology
Mass Spectrometry Core
VAI’s Mass Spectrometry Core is among the best in the U.S. The powerful analyses it provides enables our scientists to determine detailed information about the molecules that fuel metabolism.
Thanks to two years of deep MeNu investment and key leadership by Dr. Hyoungjoo Lee and Dr. Ryan Sheldon, VAI established a comprehensive proteomics platform that empowers researchers to answer deeper mechanistic questions in the field of metabolism and beyond. This platform is now a service within VAI’s Mass Spectrometry Core.
Mass Spectrometry Core contributions
The following papers offer a snapshot of the Mass Spectrometry Core’s exemplary contributions to research at VAI. Since its launch in 2019, the Mass Spectrometry Core has supported more than 30 peer-reviewed publications in Science, Immunity, Nature Metabolism, Cell Metabolism and others. For additional examples, please visit the Mass Spectrometry Core ➔
Mutations to and deletions of the NF1 gene are among the most common drivers of breast cancer. Findings from VAI scientists have revealed the mechanisms by which loss of NF1 function contributes to breast cancer development and progression. They discovered that damage to this critical gene derails cells’ normal metabolic balance, allows cells to proliferate unchecked and disrupts important cellular communication channels. The findings highlight NF1 and cancer cell metabolism as potential targets for new cancer therapies.
VAI scientists identified more than 1,000 previously undetected proteins in common metabolite samples, which persist despite extraction methods designed to weed them out. The findings give scientists new insights and tools for improving future metabolomics experiments, including a novel protocol for removing these proteins during the extraction process.
The protocol employs a streamlined extraction from a single sample, which reduces variation, improves efficiency, preserves data fidelity and maximizes use of precious biospecimens.
Collaboration
Funding for Collaborative Research
Collaboration is at the heart of VAI’s mission to support groundbreaking, life-changing science. To this end, the MeNu Program funds VAI scientists in support of innovative, early-stage research projects, with an emphasis on collaborative pilot studies and developing new tools for metabolism research. Funding supports larger cross-functional teams seeking to answer paradigm-shifting questions in the field of metabolism.
MeNu Consortium
The Metabolism & Nutrition (MeNu) Research Consortium is a collaborative effort to understand the impact of diet and nutrition on human health at the molecular level, bringing together the brightest minds and boldest ideas to move the needle in basic metabolism research. Comprising leading institutions across the U.S., the Consortium provides research support to catalyze breakthroughs in metabolism and foster institutional buy-in to accelerate collaboration.
Member Institutions
- Van Andel Institute
- Northwestern University
- Michigan State University
- University of California, Los Angeles
- University of Pennsylvania
In spring 2025, the Consortium forecasted areas of promise and potential breakthroughs in the metabolism field.
Read more ➔
Acceleration
Pathway-to-Independence
As part of our commitment to training the next generation of scientists, we are pleased to offer our Pathway-to-Independence Award, which provides funding to selected senior postdoctoral fellows at VAI interested in launching independent tenure-track research careers. The program presents up to two awards each year, with awards providing two years of project support under the guidance of the postdoc’s mentor.
Pathway-to-Independence Awardees
MeNu Team Members
Russell Jones, Ph.D.
Chair and Professor, Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming
Cancer and Immunometabolism
Kelsey Williams, Ph.D.
Research Program Manager, MeNu
Margene Brewer, M.S.
Senior Administrative Assistant I, Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming
The following is a snapshot of publications that include co-authors who have been awarded MeNu support.
Ma EH, Dahabieh MS, DeCamp LM, Kaymak I, Kitchen-Goosen SM, Oswald BM, Longo J, Roy DG, Verway MJ, Johnson RM, Samborska B, Duimstra LR, Scullion LR, Steadman M, Vos M, Roddy TP, Krawczyk CM, Williams KS, Sheldon RD, Jones RG. 2024. 13C metabolite tracing reveals glutamine and acetate as critical in vivo fuels for CD8 T. Sci Adv 10(22).
Xiao X, Fay A, Santos Molina P, Kovach A, Glickman MS, Li H. 2024. Structure of the M. tuberculosis DnaK−GrpE complex reveals how key DnaK roles are controlled. Nat Commun15:660.
Pérez-Mojica JE, Enders L, Walsh J, Lau KH, Lempradl A. 2023. Continuous transcriptome analysis reveals novel patterns of early gene expression in Drosophila embryos. Cell Genom.
Luda KM, Longo J, Kitchen-Goosen SM, Duimstra LR, Ma EH, Watson MJ, Oswald BM, Fu Z, Madaj Z, Kupai A, Dickson BM, DeCamp LM, Dahabieh MS, Compton SE, Teis R, Kaymak I, Lau KH, Kelly DP, Puchalska P, Williams KS, Krawczyk CM, Lévesque D, Boisvert FM, Sheldon RD, Rothbart SB, Crawford PA, Jones RG. 2023. Ketolysis drives CD8+ T cell effector function through effects on histone acetylation. Immunity.
Pérez-Mojica JE, Enders L, Lau K, Lempradl A. 2023. Single-embryo RNA sequencing for continuous and sex-specific gene expression analysis on Drosophila. STAR Prot.
Xiao X, Feng X, Yoo JH, Kovach A, Darwin KH, Li H. 2022. The β-grasp domain of proteasomal ATPase Mpa makes critical contacts with the Mycobacterium tuberculosis 20S core particle to facilitate degradation. mSphere 7(5):e00227422.
Longo J, Watson MJ, Vos MJ, Williams KS, Jones RG. 2022. PYGBacking on glycogen metabolism to fuel early memory t cell recall responses. Mol Cell 82(16):2918–2921.
Kaymak I, Luda KM, Duimstra LR, Ma EH, Longo J, Dahabieh MS, Faubert B, Oswald BM, Watson MJ, Kitchen-Goosen SM, DeCamp LM, Compton SE, Fu Z, DeBerardinis RJ, Williams KS, Sheldon RD, Jones RG. 2022. Carbon source availability drives nutrient utilization in CD8+ T cells. Cell Metab.
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Upcoming Events
Rising Stars in Metabolism Symposium
June 1, 2026 | Van Andel Institute
The Rising Stars in Metabolism Symposium recognizes exceptional, up-and-coming assistant professors and postdoctoral fellows whose innovative research is poised to deeply impact the metabolism field.Explore the Rising Stars in Metabolism Symposium ➔
Horizons in Metabolism Symposium
June 2, 2026 | Van Andel Institute
Horizons in Metabolism: Cell-Specific Metabolism will feature talks at the leading edge of mechanistic single cell metabolism research with an eye toward technology development and clinical implications. The symposium will focus on big questions, explore the latest research and provide ample opportunities for networking.
Metabolism Research at VAI
VAI scientists explore metabolism and nutrition from multiple angles, including their role in the immune system, their effects on diseases like cancer and diabetes, and their impact on cellular energy production and the health of future generations.
Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming
The Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming is home to a growing group of expert investigators who study the nuanced mechanics of cellular metabolism and their implications for health and disease.
Metabolism and Nutrition (MeNu) Program
The Metabolism and Nutrition (MeNu) Program is a collaborative effort to facilitate game-changing research into the ways diet and nutrition impact health at the molecular level. The program supports interdisciplinary projects at the leading edge of the metabolism field across the institute and MeNu Consortium member institutions.
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- 122 peer-reviewed papers published in 2024, 63 of which were in high-impact journals
- 15 VAI-SU2C Epigenetics Dream Team clinical trials launched to date
- 10 clinical trials co-funded by VAI & Cure Parkinson's (out of 41 total International Linked Clinical Trials Program trials)