Van Andel Institute appoints Dr. Darren Moore as Jay Van Andel Endowed Chair in Parkinson’s Disease Research

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Dec. 20, 2024) — Van Andel Institute has appointed leading Parkinson’s scientist Darren Moore, Ph.D., as the Jay Van Andel Endowed Chair in Parkinson’s Disease Research.

The prestigious appointment recognizes and celebrates Moore’s breakthrough research into the genetic factors that influence Parkinson’s disease risk and onset.    

The Jay Van Andel Endowed Chair in Parkinson’s Disease Research was established in 2011 in honor of VAI Founder Jay Van Andel, who battled Parkinson’s disease for a decade before he passed away in 2004. Endowed chair positions recognize a career-spanning record of scientific achievement.

“Parkinson’s is deeply personal for my family. The Jay Van Andel Endowed Chair in Parkinson’s Disease Research honors my father’s memory and recognizes his enduring legacy,” said VAI Chairman and CEO David Van Andel. “The Institute has long been home to world-class Parkinson’s research. Dr. Moore is an exceptional scientist and his visionary work is an integral part of our efforts to find ways to better understand and better treat Parkinson’s.”

Moore joined VAI in 2014 and quickly established his lab as an epicenter of innovation and leading-edge Parkinson’s research. He is a globally recognized expert in the genetic factors that contribute to the disease, with a focus on genetic changes passed down through families. His research has revealed the deep influence that mutations to genes such as LRRK2 and VPS35 have on inherited and non-inherited forms of Parkinson’s disease.  

Moore serves as chair of VAI’s Department of Neurodegenerative Science, a growing team of scientists who investigate Parkinson’s, dementias, depression, ALS and other neurological disorders. He is a member of the Cure Parkinson’s–Van Andel Institute International Linked Clinical Trials Program, which prioritizes medications developed for other conditions for evaluation in Parkinson’s disease clinical trials. Moore also is director of VAI’s West Michigan Neurodegenerative Diseases (MiND) Program, which aims to improve understanding of Parkinson’s and dementia, power new discoveries and leverage findings to inform groundbreaking treatment strategies.