We had an exciting week, welcoming our newest graduate student, Laura, to the lab!
Mike Henderson
@mxhend.bsky.social
Associate Professor Van Andel Institute Focused on neurodegeneration, synuclein, tau
Come join us unraveling the mysteries of neurodegeneration!
Henderson Lab@hndlab.bsky.social · 4mo agoWe’re hiring a Postdoc in the Henderson Lab @ Van Andel Institute! Join a growing team studying neurodegenerative disease across scales (molecular → circuits). Flexible, high-impact projects + strong mentorship. Apply: vai.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/VAICar... Please share!
Congratulations to graduate student, Anika, on passing her Comprehensive Exam!
We are excited to recognize renowned scientist Glenda Halliday, Ph.D., as the recipient of the 2026 Jay Van Andel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Parkinson’s Disease Research! Read more: vai.org/gcpd-jva-awa...
What’s on the horizon in Parkinson’s disease research? In honor of #ParkinsonsAwarenessMonth, VAI’s Dr. Darren Moore highlights five areas to watch for breakthroughs in the coming years. Read more: www.vai.org/article/5-ar...
Can a chronic stomach infection influence #Parkinsons disease risk? Recent findings by VAI’s @mxhend.bsky.social and colleagues reveal how infection by the H. pylori bacterium may influence the risk and progression of Parkinson’s. www.vai.org/article/can-...
Can a chronic stomach infection influence Parkinson’s disease risk? – Van Andel Institute
Read about Can a chronic stomach infection influence Parkinson’s disease risk? on Van Andel Institute – Stay updated on the latest research and groundbreaking discoveries in science and health.
vai.org
❗🧠 New review in IEEE RBME How network math models are reshaping how we think about neurodegenerative disease, from brain dynamics to disease progression "Network models of neurodegeneration: bridging neuronal dynamics and disease progression" ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/113...
Exciting study of Alzheimer's plasma biomarkers in a community sample. The finding I was most surprised by was this plot of biomarker prevelance by education. We know education reduces incidence of AD, but this shows it also prevents biological markers of AD! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A study by @mxhend.bsky.social and collaborators found that an unstructured layer surrounding the Alzheimer’s-related protein tau plays a critical role in recruiting other proteins to misfold in Alzheimer’s progression. The findings were published in @natcomms.nature.com. www.vai.org/article/not-...
Not just a harmless accessory, tau’s ‘fuzzy coat’ contributes to Alzheimer’s progression – Van Andel Institute
Read about Not just a harmless accessory, tau’s ‘fuzzy coat’ contributes to Alzheimer’s progression on Van Andel Institute – Stay updated on the latest research and groundbreaking discoveries in scien...
vai.org
Another graduate student defended! Congratulations, Dr. Goralski!
Henderson Lab@hndlab.bsky.social · 12mo agoCongratulations to Dr. Goralski on a fantastic dissertation defense! The whole lab showed up in Tommy's usual attire to celebrate with him! @vai.org #PhD
Excellent opportunity for a postdoc to join @sjorsscheres.bsky.social in the LMB’s Structural Studies Division to work on #cryoEM structure determination of amyloid filaments in a lively, multi-disciplinary group. Read more: www.nature.com/naturecareer... Closes 03 AUG #PostdocJobs #ScienceJobs
Excited to have several new lab members join us this year!
Henderson Lab@hndlab.bsky.social · last yr.It’s been a busy year so far in the Henderson lab! We have several new lab members to welcome—Anika and Noah as new graduate students, Aastha as a new postdoc, Sydney as a new technician, and Giang, Kelsey, and @abbeyzuzelski.bsky.social who are joining us as summer fellows! The lab is bustling!
We are thrilled to announce that renowned physician-scientist J. Timothy Greenamyre, M.D., Ph.D., of University of Pittsburgh, will be the recipient of the 2025 Jay Van Andel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Parkinson’s Disease Research!
Van Andel Institute to recognize Dr. J. Timothy Greenamyre with 2025 Jay Van Andel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Parkinson’s Disease Research – Van Andel Institute
Read about Van Andel Institute to recognize Dr. J. Timothy Greenamyre with 2025 Jay Van Andel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Parkinson’s Disease Research on Van Andel Institute – Stay updated on...
vai.org
Congratulations to grad student Ben for passing his qualifying exam! Now he gets to do all the exciting research he has proposed!
Great collaboration with @sjorsscheres.bsky.social led by graduate student @alysa-kasen.bsky.social! It turns out core filament structure and fuzzy coat PTMs contribute to tau seeding.
Sjors Scheres@sjorsscheres.bsky.social · last yr.Cool stuff from our collaboration with @mxhend.bsky.social: the fold of tau filaments matters for seeding in primary cultures & in live mice: the AD fold is more seeding efficient than non-AD folds! But that's not all: phosphorylation of the fuzzy coat matters too. 🤩 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Another first place poster prize for graduate student @alysa-kasen.bsky.social for her work on tau pathology seeding! She is finishing up this summer and looking for a postdoc if anyone needs an excellent scientist!
2024 has been a year of growth and impact for VAI. Check out our research year in review! ⬇️
VAI Research: A year in review – Van Andel Institute
Read about VAI Research: A year in review on Van Andel Institute – Stay updated on the latest research and groundbreaking discoveries in science and health.
vai.org
Pharmaceutical company Roche announce that their Phase IIb PADOVA study of the alpha synuclein targeting antibody Prasinezumab just missed its primary endpoint (p=0.0657), but their data suggests possible clinical benefit in early-stage #Parkinsons www.roche.com/media/releas...
