2022 Spring/Summer Highlights of Hope

RESEARCH
VAI welcomes six new scientists
and their labs
In the past year, VAI recruited six new faculty — an achievement that expands our scientific capacity and impact in Grand Rapids and
beyond. These exceptional experts, each of whom leads their own lab at the Institute, bring with them a wealth of expertise at the
forefront of scientific innovation and discovery.
Nick Burton, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Department of Epigenetics
Joined VAI from University of Cambridge
Dr. Nick Burton explores how our environment,
especially microbes, can impact our health and
the health of our offspring — even before they
are born. His research has extensive implications
for understanding how epigenetics contributes to
human disease and how the environment we are
exposed to today affects not only our own health,
but also our children’s.
“In the last decade, it has become increasingly
clear that an individual’s environment and their
epigenetics play a major role in determining
whether or not they will go on to develop many
different pathologies, ranging from diabetes to
autism. We are now beginning to understand
the mechanisms underlying many of these
observations. At Van Andel Institute, I look
forward to working alongside many world-class
researchers looking to solve these mechanisms
and find new ways to improve human health.”
— Dr. Nick Burton
Yvonne Fondufe-Mittendorf, Ph.D., Professor
Department of Epigenetics
Joined VAI from University of Kentucky
Dr. Yvonne Fondufe-Mittendorf investigates how
environmental factors, such as toxicants, impact our
genetic code and contribute to cancer. Her research
is illuminating powerful new insights that could
influence our understanding of health and disease,
providing a path forward for new strategies for
cancer prevention and treatment.
“Our environment has a profound impact on our
health, down to the molecular level. My research
addresses some of today’s health challenges
by developing a deeper understanding of
the mechanisms underpinning this critical
relationship. Van Andel Institute is a global
center for leading-edge epigenetics research,
and I am thrilled to be part of it.”
— Dr. Yvonne Fondufe-Mittendorf
Stephanie Grainger, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Department of Cell Biology
Joined VAI from San Diego State University
Stem cells give rise to every cell type in the human
body and play important roles in health and disease.
Dr. Stephanie Grainger seeks to understand how
these special cells develop, how they are maintained,
and how they can become cancerous, with the goal
of developing new strategies for combating cancer.
“Traditional cancer therapies do not target
the rare cells that initiate cancer growth, and
instead take a brute force approach of killing
any cells that are growing. This includes the
cells in your intestines, skin and hair and is why
chemotherapy causes side effects like an upset
stomach and hair loss. These rare cells, which
behave similarly to a specialized group of cells
in our bodies called stem cells, are often able to
regrow tumors once therapy is withdrawn. One
of the main goals of my research group at VAI
is to figure out how these rare cells talk to each
other in normal and cancerous conditions. Once
we figure that out, we can more effectively kill
off these cells that initiate cancer.”
— Dr. Stephanie Grainger
2 | VAN ANDEL INSTITUTE HIGHLIGHTS OF HOPE