Symposium Location
The symposium will be held at:
Parking
Nearby parking is available at meters on Bostwick, or in the Grand Rapids Community College ramp on the corner of Bostwick and Lyon.
Lodging
Information on hotels in the Grand Rapids metro area is available here.
About the Jay Van Andel Award for Outstanding Research in Parkinson’s Disease
Van Andel Institute founder Jay Van Andel suffered from Parkinson’s for over 10 years before his death in 2004. In his autobiography, An Enterprising Life, Mr. Van Andel wrote, “Research into the causes and potential cures for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other diseases is promising but requires much more support…I hope that my own contributions to medical research will be followed by increased support from other entrepreneurs, charitable foundations, and concerned individuals.” To honor the memory and contributions of the Institute’s founder, the Jay Van Andel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Parkinson’s Disease Research has been established. Andrew Singleton is the inaugural recipient of this award.
About Jay Van Andel
Entrepreneur and philanthropist Jay Van Andel, perhaps best known as the co-founder of Amway, founded Van Andel Institute in 1996 with his wife Betty. Jay saw opportunity in the landscape of his hometown in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and imagined a thriving center for biomedical research, health care and the life science industry. He forged ahead in pursuing this dream despite his diagnosis of Parkinson’s, which eventually took his life in 2004.
About Van Andel Institute
Established by Jay and Betty Van Andel in 1996, Van Andel Institute is an independent research organization dedicated to preserving, enhancing and expanding the frontiers of medical science, and to achieving excellence in education by probing fundamental issues of education and the learning process. This is accomplished through the work of over 200 researchers in more than 20 on-site laboratories and in collaborative partnerships that span the globe.
More About Van Andel Institute
About the Center for Neurodegenerative Science at Van Andel Institute
After a lengthy, international search, Dr. Patrik Brundin joined Van Andel Institute in 2012 as Director of the Center for Neurodegenerative Science and Head of the Laboratory of Translational Parkinson’s Disease Research. Plans call for the development of five research groups with about 80 researchers to be phased in over the next five years in the areas of biomarkers, restorative therapies, and disease modification.
More About the Laboratory of Translational Parkinson’s Disease Research
About Grand Rapids’ Medical Mile
Grand Rapids’ “Medical Mile” is a concentration of research, clinical, and educational facilities in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. This gives Van Andel Institute (VAI) the opportunity to work with several partners in the area of Parkinson’s, including Michigan State University’s Morris K. Udall Center of Excellence in Parkinson’s Disease Research, Saint Mary’s Health Care Hauenstein Center, and Spectrum Health.
ArtPrize: September 19 – October 7
ArtPrize® is the world’s largest art competition. 162 venues within three square miles of downtown Grand Rapids will feature more than 1,500 entries from artists from all over the world. Downtown will come alive as varied artwork covers buildings, fills outdoor spaces, and adorns the walls of restaurants, businesses, museums, and other buildings. The top award is decided by public vote.