image: The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) has elected Dr. Hui Shen of Van Andel Institute to its College of Fellows.
Credit: Courtesy of Van Andel Institute
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (March 31, 2025) — Van Andel Institute’s Hui Shen, Ph.D., has been elected to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows, a prestigious appointment that represents the top 2% of medical and biological engineers.
The AIMBE College of Fellows recognizes those who have made exceptional contributions to “engineering and medicine research, practice or education” and to “the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of medical and biological engineering or developing/implementing innovative approaches to biological engineering.”
An expert in bioinformatics and computational biology, Shen develops new approaches for cancer prevention, detection and treatment by studying the interaction between genes and their control systems, called epigenetics. Her multi-faceted research has led to breakthroughs in ovarian cancers and enhanced understanding of the mechanisms of that give rise to many other cancer types.
"Being elected to the AIMBE College of Fellows is a great honor,” Shen said. “I am grateful for the recognition and excited to continue advancing biomedical engineering to drive meaningful impact in human health."
Now a professor in VAI’s Department of Epigenetics, Shen joined the Institute in 2014 following a postdoctoral fellowship at University of Southern California. She is widely recognized as a leader in cancer epigenetics and was an integral part of The Cancer Genome Atlas, a National Cancer Institute-led effort to molecularly map 33 cancer types. Shen is an F1000 Faculty Member for Cancer Epigenetics and has been awarded the Liz Tilberis Award by Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance, a National Cancer Institute ESI MERIT award and an American Association for Cancer Research Team Science Award.
###
ABOUT VAN ANDEL INSTITUTE
Van Andel Institute (VAI) is committed to improving the health and enhancing the lives of current and future generations through cutting edge biomedical research and innovative educational offerings. Established in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1996 by the Van Andel family, VAI is now home to more than 500 scientists, educators and support staff, who work with a growing number of national and international collaborators to foster discovery. The Institute’s scientists study the origins of cancer, Parkinson’s and other diseases and translate their findings into breakthrough prevention and treatment strategies. Our educators develop inquiry-based approaches for K–12 education to help students and teachers prepare the next generation of problem-solvers, while our Graduate School offers a rigorous, research-intensive Ph.D. program in molecular and cellular biology. Learn more at vai.org.