2025 VAI Graduate School Convocation & Commencement Program

VAN ANDEL INSTITUTE GRADUATE SCHOOL
2025 | CONVOCATION &
COMMENCEMENT PROGRAM

Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, 1:30 PM EST | TOMATIS AUDITORIUM
2025 Cohort Introductions
DOWNLOAD A PRINTABLE PDF OF THE PROGRAM BOOKLET
AND NEW STUDENT BIOGRAPHIES AT
bit.ly/VAIConvocation25.
PROCESSIONAL
WELCOME
Dr. Peter A. Jones, President and Chief Scientific
Officer, Van Andel Institute; President, Van Andel
Institute Graduate School
REMARKS
Kyle Van Andel, VAI Ambassador
OPENING OF CEREMONY AND DEAN’S REMARKS
Eric C. Swindell, Ph.D., Dean and Chief Academic
Officer, Van Andel Institute Graduate School
INTRODUCTION OF 19TH INCOMING CLASS/COHORT
INTRODUCTION OF GRADUATES BY MENTORS
Patrick Dischinger — Matt Steensma, M.D./
Carrie Graveel, Ph.D.
Lauren Duimstra — Russell Jones, Ph.D.
Leena Kariapper — Evan Worden, Ph.D.
Alysa Kasen — Michael Henderson, Ph.D.
Vladimir Molchanov — Tao Yang, Ph.D.
Brandon Oswald — Russell Jones, Ph.D.
Alfredo Reyes Oliveras — Brian Haab, Ph.D.
CONFERRING OF DEGREES
Juan R. Olivarez, Ph.D., Chair, Van Andel Institute
Graduate School Board of Directors
PRESENTATION OF HOODS
REFLECTIONS BY GRADUATES
CONTINUING STUDENT PERSPECTIVE
Elshaimaa Ali, on behalf of the Graduate Student
Association
OPENING OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR
RECESSIONAL
Reception to follow in Cook-Hauenstein Hall.
Music for today’s celebration performed by
Kopper and Keys.
For general questions, please contact Susanne
Miller-Schachinger at susanne.miller@vai.edu.
INCOMING STUDENTS
Sophia Agrusa
Laura Brasseur
Morgan Canfield
Ming Fung (Eric) Cheung
Michelle Dykstra
Katie Ernst
Lyric Johnson
Faith Chikuku Kaluba
Hyeon Jin Kim
Ying Fei Liew
Miguel Angel Martinez
Mireya Mota
Ahn (Audrey) Nguyen
Sanskriti Saxena
Kelly Sokol
Yangzhou (Suzanne) Su
VAN ANDEL EDUCATION INSTITUTE
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
David Van Andel
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
Van Andel Institute
James E. Bultman, Ed.D.
Juan R. Olivarez, Ph.D.
Teresa Weatherall Neal, Ed.D. (hon)
Christine Willig
Kyle Van Andel
Board Observer
VAN ANDEL INSTITUTE GRADUATE SCHOOL
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Juan Olivarez, Ph.D., Chair
Mary O’Riordan, Ph.D., Vice Chair
Maria Cimitile, Ph.D.
James B. Fahner, M.D.
Peggy Farnham, Ph.D.
Peter A. Jones, Ph.D., D.Sc. (hon)
Candace T. Smith-King, M.D.
Thomas Curran, J.D.
Secretary to the Board
Katie Helder
Treasurer to the Board
VAN ANDEL INSTITUTE GRADUATE SCHOOL FACULTY
Marie Adams, M.S.
Stephen B. Baylin, M.D.
Sarah Bodbyl, Ph.D.
Lena Brundin, M.D., Ph.D.
Nick Burton, Ph.D.
Clifford Cho, M.D.
Gerry Coetzee, Ph.D.
Martha Escobar, Ph.D.
Corinne Esquibel, Ph.D.
Yvonne Fondufe-Mittendorf, Ph.D.
Stephanie Grainger, Ph.D.
Carrie R. Graveel, Ph.D.
Brian Haab, Ph.D.
Michael Henderson, Ph.D.
Galen Hostetter, M.D.
Melissa Hoyer, Ph.D.
Derek Janssens, Ph.D.
Peter A. Jones, Ph.D., D.Sc. (hon)
Russell Jones, Ph.D.
Connie Krawczyk, Ph.D.
Peter W. Laird, Ph.D.
Heidi Lempradl, Ph.D.
Hong Li, Ph.D.
Huilin Li, Ph.D.
Evan Lien, Ph.D.
Zach Madaj, M.S.
Darren Moore, Ph.D.
Sara Nowinski, Ph.D.
Maulik Patel, Ph.D.
Gerd Pfeifer, Ph.D.
J. Andrew Pospisilik, Ph.D.
Scott Rothbart, Ph.D.
Laurent Roybon, Ph.D.
Ryan Sheldon, Ph.D.
Hui Shen, Ph.D.
Rachael Sheridan, Ph.D., SCYM (ASCP)
Xiaobing Shi, Ph.D.
Matthew R. Steensma, M.D.
Eric C. Swindell, Ph.D.
Piroska Szabó, Ph.D.
Tim Triche, Jr., Ph.D.
Travis Walton, Ph.D.
Bang-An Wang, Ph.D.
Hong Wen, Ph.D.
Bart Williams, Ph.D.
Mary Winn, Ph.D.
Evan Worden, Ph.D.
Tao Yang, Ph.D.
Yang Yang, Ph.D.
Liman Zhang, Ph.D.
Gongpu Zhao, Ph.D.
Qiang Zhu, Ph.D.
Sophia Agrusa
Undergraduate University: Grand Valley State
University
Experience: After earning her Bachelor of Science
in biology, Sophia joined Dr. Michael Wilson’s lab
at Wayne State University as a research assistant.
Her first project in the lab examined the role of the
tumor suppressor FBXW7 in endometrial cancer
(EC) tumorigenesis and invasion. As a second
project, she worked to identify protein-protein
interactions of histone methyltransferase KMT2D
in the context of EC. During her undergraduate
studies, she joined the lab of Dr. Matt Steensma
at VAI as an undergraduate intern. As an intern,
she assisted on projects involved in targeted drug
therapies in malignant peripheral nerve sheath
tumors (MPNSTs) and identifying protein isoforms
of neurofibromin in NF1-related breast cancer.
Hometown: Novi, Michigan
Laura Brasseur
Undergraduate University: University of Michigan
Experience: Laura earned her Bachelor of Science
degree in neuroscience and psychology from the
University of Michigan. During her undergraduate
years, she worked in Dr. Shah’s Basic and Applied
Cognition Lab studying interventions for children
diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder and completed a senior honors thesis
testing the effectiveness of commonly used
patient pain measurement scales. She currently
works as a research technician in the Henderson
Lab at Van Andel Institute. Her research aims to
characterize how regional and cellular differences
affect pathology progression in Parkinson’s disease
and how machine learning tools can be leveraged
to extract meaningful motor and cognitive data
from rodent behavioral assays. Laura hopes to
continue researching the underlying pathogenesis
of neurodegenerative diseases, with a particular
interest in Parkinson’s disease, to help inform and
develop disease-modifying therapies.
Hometown: Hastings, Michigan
2 3
Morgan Canfield
Undergraduate University: Grand Valley State
University
Experience: Morgan joined Van Andel Institute
as an intern in Dr. Sara Nowinski’s lab, where she
studied the mitochondrial fatty acid synthesis
pathway (mtFAS). Upon graduating with a degree in
cell and molecular biology from Grand Valley State
University, she started as a research technician in
Dr. Nowinski’s lab. During this time, she assisted
in developing a method to visualize products of
mtFAS on the mass spectrometer.
Hometown: Ionia, Michigan
Eric Cheung
Undergraduate University: Hong Kong University
of Science and Technology
Experience: Eric earned his undergraduate
degree in biochemistry and cell biology from the
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
(HKUST). He subsequently completed his Master’s
in genomics and bioinformatics at the Chinese
University of Hong Kong. During his time as a
staff member at the Center for Epigenomics
Research at HKUST, he participated in several
research projects. He utilized diverse epigenomics
techniques to examines the variations in DNA
replication patterns between yeast and humans.
Amid the COVID pandemic, he investigated how
SARS-CoV-2 infection alters the epigenomes in the
placenta. Additionally, he is focused on creating
tools and methods to explore the epigenome.
Hometown: Hong Kong
Michelle Dykstra
Undergraduate University: Grand Valley State
University
Experience: Michelle earned a Bachelor of Science
in biochemistry with a minor in Spanish from
Grand Valley State University. While there, she
studied seed senescence in Arabidopsis thaliana
and crossed mutant generations of plants to
create a double mutant. Since her graduation from
Grand Valley, she has been working as a research
technician in the Worden Lab at Van Andel
Institute studying the ubiquitination of histone
methyltransferases.
Hometown: Buchanan, Michigan

2025 Cohort Introductions
Katie Ernst
Undergraduate University: Central Michigan
Faith Kaluba
Undergraduate University: Andrews University
Miguel Martinez
Undergraduate University: Lehigh University
Sanskriti Saxena
Undergraduate University: Indian Institute of
University
Experience: Katelyn Ernst earned a bachelor’s
degree in neuroscience from Central Michigan
University, where she volunteered in multiple labs
within both the sports medicine and neuroscience
departments. She developed an interest in
neurodegenerative disease after contributing to
stem cell transplantation research for Parkinson’s
disease. During and after her undergraduate
studies, Katelyn worked in the medical field as
an EMT and medical assistant, which deepened
her interest in understanding the science behind
medical treatments and her desire to make a
greater impact. This passion led her to seek out
research opportunities, culminating in her role
as a research assistant at Van Andel Institute in
Dr. Yang Yang’s lab. There, Katelyn has honed
skills in cryo-EM, data processing and diverse
bench techniques. Since joining the lab, she
has contributed to solving the structure of two
synthetic phosphorylated tau peptides, along with
working towards resolving the structure of the
binding interaction between various amyloids and
PET tracers.
Hometown: St. Johns, Michigan
Lyric Johnson
Undergraduate University: Calvin University
Experience: Lyric earned a Bachelor of Science in
biochemistry with a minor in global development
studies from Calvin University. After graduation,
she became a post-baccalaureate scholar at
Purdue University, where she conducted research
on the SCN2A gene, investigating its role in
neurodevelopmental disorders using advanced
molecular and cellular techniques. Lyric has
experience in cell culture, immunocytochemistry
and fluorescence microscopy, as well as a
background in environmental toxicology research.
Her interests center on understanding genetic and
epigenetic factors influencing neurological and
neurodevelopmental disorders, with a particular
focus on neurodegeneration. Passionate about
using innovative tools such as induced pluripotent
stem cells, she seeks to uncover the molecular
mechanisms underlying neurological disorders
and promote the advancement of individualized
genetic therapies
Hometown: Flint, Michigan
Experience: After earning a Bachelor of Science
in biology (pre-medicine with an emphasis
on biomedical sciences), Faith worked in
Massachusetts at Azenta Life Sciences as a
laboratory technician in the plasmid preparation
department. She then joined the Lien Lab at
Van Andel Institute where she worked for close to
three years as a research technician investigating
the impact of β-OHB metabolism on cancer
progression. Her future goals involve exploring the
impact of lifestyle and diet-associated therapies on
initiation and progression of reproductive cancers,
respectively.
Hometown: Lusaka, Zambia
Jin Kim
Undergraduate University: Calvin University
Experience: Hyeon Jin joined Dr. Peter Jones’s
lab as an undergraduate summer intern. After
graduating from Calvin University with a Bachelor
of Science in biology, he continued in the lab as
a laboratory technician under the mentorship of
Dr. Josh Jang, focusing on immune-related adverse
events, including hyper progressive disease, in
bladder cancer patients.
Hometown: Cheonan, South Korea
Ying Fei Liew
Undergraduate University: University of New
South Wales
Experience: Ying Fei is fascinated by metabolism
and signalling pathways. She undertook her
honors research in Dr. Nigel Turner’s Cellular
Bioenergetics Lab at the Victor Chang Cardiac
Research Institute (Sydney, Australia), where she
investigated metabolites released by adipocytes
in response to mitochondrial stress. Upon
graduation from University of New South Wales
with a Bachelor of Science (honors) in medical
science, she joined Dr. Paul Timpson’s Cancer
Invasion and Metastasis Lab at the Garvan
Institute of Medical Research (Sydney, Australia)
as a research assistant. There, she contributed to
projects aimed at studying and targeting stromal
components within the tumor microenvironment
of pancreatic cancer to enhance the efficacy of
standard-of-care therapies.
Hometown: Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Experience: Miguel began his career at Lehigh
University researching neurogenetics of creativity
and anxiety with Dr. Julie Miwa. After earning a
Bachelor of Arts in behavioral neuroscience and
musical composition from Lehigh University,
Miguel had two years of experience in axon
development research using C. elegans with
Dr. Christopher Quinn. Miguel then continued
his research career at the National Institutes
of Health with Dr. David Sibley researching
neuropharmacological therapeutics for Parkinson’s
disease using C. elegans.
Hometown: Reading, Pennsylvania
Mireya Mota
Undergraduate University: University of Texas
at Austin
Experience: Mireya Mota earned a Bachelor
of Science in neuroscience from University
of Texas at Austin. She worked part time as
an undergraduate researcher for four years
during her undergraduate degree, focusing on
ultrastructural annotations of rat hippocampus.
She has been a full-time researcher since
December 2022. During this time, she worked
in pharmacology and nuclear and mitochondrial
gene editing.
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Audrey Nguyen
Undergraduate university: Calvin University
Experience: Nguyen earned a bachelor’s degree
in biology and biochemistry from Calvin University,
where she participated in a Freshman Research
Program, focusing on bacteriophage-based
therapies for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Postgraduation,
Audrey joined the Peter Jones Lab at
Van Andel Institute, where her work centers on
the Aryl hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) oncogene’s
role in cancer resistance to immune checkpoint
inhibitors. Her research also explores how cancerspecific
mutations, combined with epigenetic
therapy, can generate tumor-enriched antigens for
cancer vaccine development. Audrey’s research
interests extend to RNA biology, exploring its
potential to uncover novel therapeutic strategies
for cancer and other diseases.
Hometown: Buon Ma Thuot, Vietnam
Science Education and Research (IISER)
Master’s University: University of Turku, Finland
and Indian Institute of Science Education and
Research (IISER)
Experience: Sanskriti’s interest in science
blossomed during her time at IISER Tirupati.
She served as the co-head of BioWissen,
the biology club at IISER Tirupati, where she
organized events and explored a wide range
of interdisciplinary science fields, which
strengthened her passion for biology. In 2022,
Sanskriti co-led a gold medal-winning team in the
iGEM competition. Additionally, she completed
a summer internship at IIT Bombay, where she
focused on biomechanics. Her strong passion for
developmental biology developed through her
coursework, which motivated her to undertake
a small semester project under Prof. Ramkumar
Sambasivan. During this project, Sanskriti created
a ChIP-seq pipeline for the lab, which allowed her
to gain deeper insights into gastruloids. Ultimately,
she completed her master’s thesis project under
the guidance of Prof. Johanna Ivaska, where she
further explored cellular biology and cellular
mechanics. Sanskriti aims to address fundamental
questions that remain unsolved, while also
advancing her skill set and learning more about
her passion.
Hometown: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
Kelly Sokol
Undergraduate University: University of
Michigan
Experience: Kelly spent two years working as a
research technician in Dr. Evan Lien’s lab at VAI.
During her time in Dr. Lien’s lab, she led a study
investigating how extracellular lipid availability
influences cancer cell sensitivity to ferroptosis.
Hometown: Grand Rapids, Michigan
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2025 Cohort Introductions Candidates for Degree Profiles
Yangzhou (Suzanne) Su
Undergraduate University: Calvin University
Experience: Suzanne graduated from Calvin
University with a B.S. in biology, where she
conducted research on nitrogen recycling in the
microbial symbiosis of turtle ants. She later joined
Dr. Hong Wen’s lab at Van Andel Institute as a
research technician, contributing to the discovery
of a novel degrader targeting the ENL protein for
acute myeloid leukemia treatment. Suzanne is
passionate about translational cancer research,
with a particular interest in understanding the
molecular mechanisms underlying cancers. She
aims to advance the development of more elective
therapeutic strategies through her doctoral
studies.
Hometown: Beijing, China
Patrick Dischinger
Dissertation: Splicing beyond the
genome: NF1 isoforms as a
hidden driver of breast
cancer metastasis
Thesis Adviser: Drs. Matt Steensma/
Carrie Graveel
Hometown: Slayton, Minnesota
Next Step: Research Associate in the
Ronald Chandler
Laboratory at Michigan
State University
Lauren Duimstra
Dissertation: Leveraging metabolic
dependencies in T cells for
immune modulation
Thesis Adviser: Dr. Russell Jones
Hometown: Hamilton, Michigan
Next Step: TBD
Vladimir Molchanov
Dissertation: Developing a dual-
engineered mesenchymal
stem cell therapy
for articular cartilage
regeneration in
osteoarthritis
Thesis Adviser: Dr. Tao Yang
Hometown: Petrozavodsk, Russia
Next Step: Postdoctoral fellow in the
Tao Yang Laboratory
Brandon Oswald
Dissertation: Fueling immunity: The role
of nutrient availability in
shaping CD8+ T cell effector
responses
Thesis Adviser: Dr. Russell Jones
Hometown: Wyoming, Michigan
Next Step: Postdoctoral fellow in the
Russell Jones Laboratory
Our Mission
Van Andel Institute Graduate School develops biomedical
research leaders through an intense, problem-focused Ph.D.
degree in molecular and cellular biology. By combining
rigorous, problem-based coursework with extensive
experience in laboratories led by the Institute’s expert faculty,
the Graduate School prepares students for productive careers
in biomedical research and beyond. The Graduate School
thrives within the state-of-the-art facilities of Van Andel
Institute, with access to extensive core technology support and
the resources of collaborators in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and
Leena Kariapper
Dissertation: Atf7IP and Atf7IP2 regulate
Setdb1 localization and
function via a conserved
heterotrimeric complex
Thesis Adviser: Dr. Evan Worden
Hometown: Born in Colombo, Sri Lanka;
grew up in Dhahran,
Saudi Arabia
Next Step: Applied for teaching-faculty
positions to pursue a
passion for teaching
Alysa Kasen
Dissertation: Untangling the roles
of structure and post-
translational modifications
on tau seeding
Thesis Adviser: Dr. Mike Henderson
Hometown: Hudsonville, Michigan
Next Step: Applying for a position as a
postdoctoral fellow
Alfredo Reyes Oliveras
Dissertation: From fuel to fate: How
glucose allocation shapes
glycans and cell state in
pancreatic cancer
Thesis Adviser: Dr. Brian Haab
Hometown: Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico
Next Step: Postdoctoral scientist in
the Huang Lab at the Texas
Biomedical Research
Institute, focusing on MAIT
cells and tuberculosis
around the country.
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History of Van Andel Institute Graduate School
Van Andel Institute began with a vision to improve human
health through biomedical research and science education.
Van Andel Institute Graduate School plays a key role in this
mission, combining rigorous coursework, extensive laboratory
experience and the mentorship of VAI’s expert faculty to develop
the biomedical research leaders of the future.
The Graduate School was founded in 2005, with a charter to grant
doctoral and master’s degrees. Dr. Eric C. Swindell became the
Dean and Chief Academic Officer in December 2023, bringing
a vision of creativity and innovation for biomedical graduate
education. The Graduate School earned initial accreditation by the
Higher Learning Commission, a nationally recognized institutional
accreditor, in 2013 and subsequently reaffirmed accreditation in
2024. The Graduate School is gaining a national reputation for its
program design, curricular approach and student support.
From the first cohort of three pioneering students in 2007, the
Graduate School has grown to a student body of 67 scholars from
16 different countries. Including today’s graduates, 45 students
have earned Ph.D. degrees and four have earned master’s
degrees. Graduate School alumni hold leadership positions in
academia, research and industry, carrying forward VAI’s values
of curiosity, collaboration and urgency to improve the health and
enhance the lives of current and future generations.
Acknowledgments
We gratefully acknowledge that the success of the Graduate
School arises from:
• The vision and generosity of Van Andel Institute founders
Jay and Betty Van Andel.
• The stalwart support of David Van Andel, Chairman and CEO of
Van Andel Institute.
• Encouraging guidance from Van Andel Education Institute
Board of Trustees.
• Creative direction and diligent oversight by past and current
members of the Van Andel Institute Graduate School
Board of Directors.
• The vision and leadership of both past Director of Education
Dr. Gordon Van Harn, who laid the foundation for the
development of the Graduate School and secured its charter,
and Past President and Founding Dean Dr. Steven J. Triezenberg
in establishing and developing our accredited Ph.D. program.
• Committed leadership of Van Andel Institute Graduate School
President Dr. Peter A. Jones and Dean and Chief Academic
Officer Dr. Eric C. Swindell, along with dedicated and excellent
work by Graduate School staff members: Associate Dean
Dr. Sarah Bodbyl, Assistant Dean Dr. Carrie Graveel, Director
of Assessment and Professional Development Taylor Boyd,
Director of Enrollment and Records Christy Mayo, Director
of Student Support Services Jane Bruin, Outreach Specialist
Christian Mittendorf, Program Administrator Michelle Love and
administrative team members Alicia Kooiman and Susanne
Miller-Schachinger.
Join us on social media
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The information in this program is based on the status at the time of printing.