2021 Annual Report

Department of
Epigenetics
Virtually all 37.2 trillion cells in our bodies have the
same DNA, the spiraling molecule that contains the
genetic instructions required to make us who we are.
But if every cell works from the same playbook, how
and why does the human body have so many different
types of cells? Why do some become skin cells while
others become muscle cells, heart cells or brain cells?
The answer is epigenetics — a complex set of processes
that determine when and to what extent certain genetic
instructions are carried out. Epigenetic processes are
vital for healthy cellular function and, when things go
awry, they can play major roles in disease.
By investigating the epigenetic processes that fine-tune
DNA, Van Andel Institute scientists aim to pinpoint the
origins of complex diseases and determine how they
are impacted by our past and present, and how they
influence future generations.
J. Andrew Pospisilik, Ph.D.
Chair and Professor
Dr. J. Andrew Pospisilik seeks
to understand how we become
whom we become, and how our
disease susceptibility is defined
from early on in life, even before
conception, with the long-term goal of being able to
predict lifelong health outlook at birth.
Stephen B. Baylin, M.D.
Director’s Scholar; Professor
Dr. Stephen Baylin studies the
body’s genetic control systems —
called epigenetics — searching for
vulnerabilities in cancer. Baylin
is a pioneer in this field and was
among the first to trace epigenetic causes of cancer. His
studies have led to new therapies for breast, lung and
colorectal cancers, among others. He is co-leader of the
Van Andel Institute–Stand Up To Cancer Epigenetics
Dream Team, a Director’s Scholar at VAI and co-head of
Cancer Biology at Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer
Center at Johns Hopkins University.
RESEARCH
Nick Burton, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
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.
Yvonne Fondufe-Mittendorf,
Ph.D.
Professor
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.
In Memoriam
On April 13, 2021, the world lost Dr. George Vande Woude, Van Andel Institute’s founding research director and a world-renowned scientist
whose storied career revolutionized our understanding of cancer. His vast scientific contributions, exceptional vision and commitment to
building world-class research programs will galvanize discovery and scientific excellence for years to come.
George Vande Woude, Ph.D.
Founding Research Director;
Professor
Among Dr. Vande Woude’s most lauded breakthroughs is the 1984 discovery of the human MET oncogene, which is now a major target
for personalized cancer therapies. He was the first to determine the structure and enhancer function of long terminal repeats, specific
sequences of the DNA that govern gene expression. He also was the first to show that mutations can transform normal genes to cancerpromoting
genes, or oncogenes. These foundational discoveries — along with the findings detailed in more than 300 published,
peer-reviewed papers — will continue to shape cancer research and treatment now and into the future.
Over his career, Dr. Vande Woude accrued an impressive list of scientific accolades. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in
1993, and the American Association for Cancer Research Academy and the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2013.
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