UAlbany RNA Institute Celebrates World RNA Day

World RNA Day

The University at Albany’s RNA Institute recently celebrated World RNA Day on Friday, August 1, 2025, with a full day of research talks, lab tours, and a poster session showcasing 79 student researchers. The event also featured an announcement from SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. highlighting UAlbany’s new partnership with Empire AI. Empire AI is a New York State funded artificial intelligence computing initiative that provides advanced supercomputing resources to accelerate research, innovation, and economic development across the state. This new partnership between UAlbany and Empire AI will enhance research on neurodegenerative diseases that include muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and spinocerebellar ataxias.

During the day, Chancellor King, Assembly member Gabriella Romero, and Provost Carol Kim toured the Institute’s facilities with Department of Biological Science Professor and RNA Institute Director Andy Berglund also met with five undergraduates funded through the Chancellor's Summer Research Excellence Fund. The students discussed with the group their current biological and biomedical projects pointing out how the innovative technologies and resources offered at the RNA Institute and UAlbany are essential for future scientific discoveries.

The day concluded with the recognition of the 2025 RNA Day Summer Celebration Awards for the following recipients and their mentors:

  • High School Bioinformatics Program: Valeriia Povysheva, Priya Pillai, Aneesh Jakkamsetti, Aarush Iyengar, Daniel Yang, Hannah Nune

  • Research Bioinformatics Program: Chandler Desforges, Cady Roselli, Adrianna Vidot, Owen Smith, Jyoti Devendra Adala

  • REU in RNA Program: Hailey Mulvihill (Shorrock Lab), Natalie Hinrichsen (Reddy Lab), Emmett Hanson (Yigit Lab), Todd Goudeau (Forni Lab)

  • RNA Institute Trainee Category: Eric Jestel (Vangaveti Lab), Lauren Anderson (Chandrasekaran Lab), Adair Hoge (Sharfstein Lab), Daphne Rincon (Shorrock Lab), Dylan Ehrbar (Begley Lab)

Additionally, the UAlbany’s RNA Institute just received a $1.8 million award from the National Institutes of Health to support 35 RNA Fellows over the next five years. These fellowships will fund graduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Integrated Health Sciences, and the College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering. Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences Tom Begley along with Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Gaby Fuchs, Associate Professor of Chemistry Alan Chen, and Assistant Professor of Nanoscale Sciences and Engineering Arun Richard Chandrasekaran will serve as co–principal investigators in coordinating the RNA Fellows program across multiple UAlbany colleges.

Congratulations to the RNA community for their invaluable support.

Please click on link for additional information on UAlbany’s RNA Institute: The RNA Institute | University at Albany.

Click on link to learn more about UAlbany’s Department of Biological Sciences Programs: Department of Biological Sciences | University at Albany.