“What matters more
“What matters more than gathering knowledge about topics of current interest is building the skills to learn what you will need in the future. Our curriculum inherently stays in touch with where science is, because the problems keep moving as the science keeps moving.” Steven J. Trizenberg, Ph.D. Dean, Van Andel Institute Graduate School THE INSTITUTE AT A GLANCE EPIGENETICS • NEURODEGENERATION CANCER • METABOLISM AND NUTRITION STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY • BONE DISEASE OUTSTANDING FACULTY, EXTENSIVE SCIENTIFIC RESOURCES 37 3 3 3 2 Faculty Members of the National Academy of Sciences Members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellows of the American Association for Cancer Research Members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences *Numbers current as of September 2019 FROM STUDENT TO SCIENTIST Using an innovative, problem-based learning approach, graduate students are trained to conduct high-caliber science and to translate basic findings in cellular and molecular biology to clinical applications, blending discovery with invention and insight with application. FOSTERING TOMORROW’S LEADERS The Graduate School is committed to developing tomorrow’s biomedical research leaders, not only through rigorous scientific education, but also through the development of vital professional skills such as leadership, ethics, responsible and effective conduct of research, public speaking, and grant and technical writing. LEARNING FROM THE BEST Thanks to a low student-faculty ratio, graduate students receive extensive and thoughtful mentorship from the Institute’s distinguished faculty, who have made significant contributions to the scientific community. 5.3 YEARS ON AVERAGE TIME-TO-DEGREE A PROMISING FUTURE Van Andel Institute Graduate School prepares students to be successful scientific leaders. Alumni go on to pursue work in various fields, including:. Group leader (research) Faculty: tenured/ tenure track Clinical services Part-time teaching staff 7% 7% 7% 7% 7% Healthcare provider 13% Science writing and communication 20% 33% Postdoctoral Research staff or technical director
PH.D. IN MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY The Graduate School prepares students for outstanding careers as independent scientists who are not only experts in their area of study but also in the business of science. Students receive a rigorous educational foundation and intense training in cutting-edge techniques and approaches to basic and translational biology that prepare them to tackle some of science’s biggest questions. By the end of their time at the Institute, students graduate not only with a Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology, but also with the tools required to build a strong career as a biomedical scientist and research leader. PHYSICIAN–SCIENTIST TRAINING Van Andel Institute Graduate School is proud to partner with Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine to develop tomorrow’s physician–scientists through joint M.D./Ph.D. programs. Van Andel Institute Graduate School and its clinical partners also collaborate on fellowship-Ph.D. programs that offer advanced clinical and research training for physicians and surgeons who are exceptionally well-fit for careers as basic science and clinical research scholars.
