
Faculty Directory
Meet Our Scientists
Van Andel Institute (VAI) is dedicated to exceptional research and to positively impacting human health. Through cutting-edge science and extensive collaboration, VAI’s investigators are working to find new diagnostics and treatments for cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and other conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, osteoarthritis and depression.
Van Andel Institute’s laboratories are divided into five departments and a core services team, which allows for efficiency and cross-center collaboration.
Research Leadership

Peter A. Jones, Ph.D., D.Sc. (hon)
VAI Chief Scientific Officer
Epigenetic Therapies
Area of Expertise
Biography
Department of Epigenetics

J. Andrew Pospisilik, Ph.D.
Chair and Professor, Department of Epigenetics
Epigenetic Origins of Heterogeneity and Disease

Stephen Baylin, M.D.
Co-leader, Van Andel Institute–Stand Up To Cancer Epigenetics Dream Team
VAI–SU2C Epigenetics Dream Team

Nick Burton, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Epigenetics
Environmental Impacts on Health and Epigenetics

Yvonne Fondufe-Mittendorf, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Epigenetics
Epigenetic Regulation and Environmental Impacts

Peter A. Jones, Ph.D., D.Sc. (hon)
VAI Chief Scientific Officer
Epigenetic Therapies

Peter W. Laird, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Epigenetics
Cancer Epigenetics

Gerd Pfeifer, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Epigenetics
Epigenetic Pathways in Disease

Scott Rothbart, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Epigenetics
Chromatin and Epigenetic Regulation

Hui Shen, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Epigenetics
Epigenomics Analysis in Human Disease

Xiaobing Shi, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Epigenetics
Histone Modifications and Chromatin Regulation

Piroska Szabó, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Epigenetics
Developmental Programming

Tim Triche, Jr., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Epigenetics
Translational Biological Informatics

Hong Wen, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Epigenetics
Epigenetics and Transcription
Area of Expertise
Biography
Neurodegenerative Science

Darren Moore, Ph.D.
Chair and Professor, Department of Neurodegenerative Science
Molecular Neurodegeneration

José Brás, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Neurodegenerative Science
Genomic Sciences and Neurodegeneration

Lena Brundin, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Neurodegenerative Science
Behavioral Medicine

Hong-Yuan Chu, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Neurodegenerative Science
Neural Circuits and Neurodegeneration

Gerhard (Gerry) Coetzee, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Neurodegenerative Science
Post-GWAS Functionality

Rita Guerreiro, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Neurodegenerative Science
Genomic Sciences and Neurodegeneration

Michael Henderson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Neurodegenerative Science
Protein Pathologies and Genetic Risk in Neurodegeneration

Qiang Zhu, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Neurodegenerative Science
Genetics, Epigenetics and Therapeutic Innovation in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Area of Expertise
Biography
Cell Biology

Tao Yang, Ph.D.
Interim Chair and Associate Professor, Department of Cell Biology
Skeletal Biology

Stephanie Grainger, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Cell Biology
Wnt Signaling in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Development and Cancer

Brian Haab, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Cell Biology; Assistant Dean, Van Andel Institute Graduate School
Cancer Immunodiagnostics

Scott Jewell, Ph.D.
Director, Pathology and Biorepository Core
Core Technologies and Services

Matt Steensma, M.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Cell Biology
Musculoskeletal Oncology

Bart Williams, Ph.D.
Director, Core Technologies and Services; Professor, Department of Cell Biology
Cell Signaling and Carcinogenesis
Area of Expertise
Biography
Structural Biology

Huilin Li, Ph.D.
Chair and Professor, Department of Structural Biology
Cryo-EM, Structural Biology, DNA Replication and Epigenetics

Juan Du, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Structural Biology
Structural Biology and Electrophysiology

Wei Lü, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Structural Biology
Cryo-EM and Structural Biology

Evan Worden, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Structural Biology
Structural Biology of Epigenetic Complexes
Area of Expertise
Biography
Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming

Russell Jones, Ph.D.
Chair and Professor, Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming
Cancer and Immunometabolism

Connie Krawczyk, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming
Immunology, Epigenetics and Metabolism

Adelheid (Heidi) Lempradl, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming
Intergenerational Inheritance of Nutritional States

Sara Nowinski, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming
Mitochondria and Metabolism

Ning Wu, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming
Signaling and Metabolism