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