Highlights of Hope Spring/Summer 23

RESEARCH
How VAI supports early
career scientists
The life-changing discoveries of tomorrow
will be made by the scientific trainees
of today. At Van Andel Institute, we are
committed to supporting our outstanding
roster of postdoctoral fellows as they
pursue biomedical science breakthroughs
and prepare for the next stages of their
professional careers.
Postdoctoral fellowships are a key part of
an early career scientist’s journey. Much
like medical residencies, the postdoctoral
period is a time for junior scientists who
have just earned their Ph.D. to gain
additional experience at the lab bench,
further build their grant-writing and
manuscript preparation skills, and develop
new perspectives in the business of
scientific research and leadership.
But postdocs also face unique challenges,
many of which have been exacerbated in
recent years. These obstacles — which
include relatively low pay, loss of stable work
and lack of institutional support, among
other factors — can stand in the way of
promising young scientists and their careers.
We believe we have a responsibility to
address these barriers and empower
the bright young scientists who will make
breakthrough discoveries now and in
the future. That’s why VAI offers a host of
training opportunities bolstered by pay and
benefits that have long been among the
best in the U.S. for postdocs — a fact that
augments our exceptional science to attract
the best of the best to our labs.
We have always believed that postdoctoral
training should be a rewarding experience
— both scientifically and professionally.
Our generous donor community plays an
important role in fostering VAI’s excellent
research environment, a factor that makes
the Institute a destination for early career
scientists. Together, we can ensure that
the brilliant trainees of today become the
scientific leaders of tomorrow.
Learn more about how you can support VAI’s
Postdoctoral Program by reaching out to
Kate Frillmann, Philanthropy Director, at
616.234.5515 or kate.frillmann@vai.org.
Clinical
trial offers
hope for
new cancer
therapies
Cancer is cunning. It can hide from the
body’s natural immune defenses. It can
turn the biological processes meant to
keep us healthy to its advantage. And it can
resist treatment thanks to the many factors
that drive its development and progression.
But now, results from an early, phase
1/2 clinical trial supported by the
Van Andel Institute–Stand Up To Cancer
Epigenetics Dream Team has found that
a pair of cancer medications, which act as
a one-two punch against malignant cells,
demonstrated increased survival in patients
with relapsed/refractory myelodysplastic
syndrome (MDS) by an average of 10
months compared to historical controls.
In December,
VAI increased
postdoctoral starting
salaries to $70,000
a year, which places
us among the bestpaying
research
organizations for
postdocs in the U.S.
10 | VAN ANDEL INSTITUTE HIGHLIGHTS OF HOPE