Welcome to the RNA Institute
Vision
The RNA Institute is positioned to make significant contributions towards understanding the role of RNA in fundamental biological processes, developing RNA as a tool for science, and harnessing this knowledge to improve human health. The Institute brings together teams of researchers from multiple Departments and Universities with expertise in Biology, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Engineering, Genetics, and Structural Biology to achieve our goals.
Mission
Training the next generation of RNA scientists with a commitment to improving the number of individuals from under-represented groups is a priority for the Institute. The driving force behind The RNA Institute is our active researchers from multiple Universities who share the common goals of providing outstanding mentoring to our trainees and using the advanced technologies in the Institute to make new discoveries centered around RNA Biology and Chemistry. The long term goal of the Institute is to translate our scientific discoveries into improving the human condition.
View The RNA Institute's 2021 Annual Report
Leadership
J. Andrew Berglund
Professor, Director of The RNA Institute
Department of Biological Sciences; The RNA Institute; Berglund Lab
Thomas Begley
Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences, Associate Director of The RNA Institute, Director of Training in RNA Science and Technology, Interim REPR Director
Department of Biological Sciences; The RNA Institute
Marlene Belfort
Distinguished Professor, Senior Advisor of The RNA Institute
College of Integrated Health Sciences; Department of Biomedical Sciences; Department of Biological Sciences; The RNA Institute
Advisory Boards
RNA Institute Scientific Advisory Board
| John Androsavich, PhD Vice President, Business Development, Head of In Vivo Biotherapeutics Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc. |
| Matthew D. Disney, PhD Professor and Chair, Department of Chemistry, 561-228-2203 |
| Thomas Gingeras, PhD Professor and Head of Functional Genomics Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory 516-422-4105 |
| Vincent Guerriero Senior Director, Strategic and WW Accounts Applied Materials |
| Tony Krackeler President and CEO at Krackeler Scientific, Inc. |
| Christos Kyratsous, PhD Senior Vice-President-Research Regeneron Pharmaceuticals |
| Alan M. Lambowitz, PhD Member, National Academy of Sciences; Mr. & Mrs. A. Frank Smith, Jr. and Nancy Lee & Perry R. Bass Regents Chairs In Molecular Biology; Director, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin |
| Kristen W. Lynch, PhD Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania |
| Melissa J. Moore, PhD Retired Chief Scientific Officer (Moderna Therapeutics); Co-founder and Director of Via Scientific; Director and SAB Chair of Tessera Therapeutics; Co-director, RNA Therapeutics Institute; Eleanor Eustis Farrington Chair in Cancer Research; Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School |
| Tony Rea Dell EMC |
| Erik Sontheimer, PhD Professor, RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School |
| Joanna Sztuba-Solinska, PhD Senior Principal Scientist, Preclinical Dev., Process Development III, VAX PR&D, Merck |
| Tom Tuschl, PhD Investigator, HHMI; Professor and Head of the Laboratory of RNA Molecular Biology, The Rockefeller University |
| Gabriele Varani, PhD Member, European Academy of Sciences; Professor of Biochemistry and Professor of Chemistry, University of Washington |
| Eric Westhof, PhD Member, European Academy of Sciences; University Professor, Head of the UPR 9002-ARN CNRS; University Professor, Head of the UPR 9002-ARN CNRS |
| Sarah Woodson, PhD Professor, Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University; Fellow AAAS; President, The RNA Society
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| Ada E. Yonath, PhD 2009 Nobel Laureate; Member, National Academy of Sciences; Director, The Helen and Milton A. Kimmelman Center for Biomolecular Structure and Assembly; Professor, Department of Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute
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Executive Council
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| Marlene Belfort, PhD Distinguished Professor, Senior Advisor of RNA Institute 518-437-4466 |
| Scott Tenenbaum, PhD Associate Professor of Nanobioscience, Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering |
| Andy Berglund, PhD Professor, Director of The RNA Institute 518-442-4300 |
| Gabriele Fuchs, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany 518-442-3621 |
| Ken Halvorsen, PhD Senior Research Scientist, The RNA Institute 518-591-8816 |
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| Tom Begley, PhD Professor of Biological Sciences, Associate Director of RNA Institute 518-437-4443 |
| Alexander Ciota, PhD Assistant Professor 518-485-6616 |
| Pheonah Badu RNA Fellow |
| Daniel Aalberts, PhD Professor of Physics, Williams College 413-597-3520 |
| Janice Pata, PhD Chair & Professor 518-402-2595 |
| Alexander Shekhtman, PhD Professor, Chair and Director, Graduate Program 518-442-4163 |
| Gabriele Baniulyte, PhD Postdoc, Biomedical Sciences, Wadsworth Center |
| Sangeetha Selvam, PhD Science Communication Specialist 518-437-4443 |
| Anil K, Ojha, PhD Associate Professor, Biomedical Sciences 518-473-6327 |
| Mehmet Yigit, PhD Associate Professor 518-442-3002 |