About the Institute

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
 

Support The RNA Institute
 

 

Leadership
Thomas Begley
Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences, Associate Director of The RNA Institute, Director of Training in RNA Science and Technology, Interim REPR Director
Marlene Belfort
Distinguished Professor, Senior Advisor of The RNA Institute

Advisory Boards

RNA Institute Scientific Advisory Board
JRAHeadshot

John Androsavich, PhD

Vice President, Business Development,

Head of In Vivo Biotherapeutics

Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc.
 

Matthew D. Disney, PhD

Matthew D. Disney, PhD

Professor
Department of Chemistry
Scripps Florida

561-228-2203

Thomas Gingeras, PhD

Thomas Gingeras, PhD

Professor and Head of Functional Genomics Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

516-422-4105
[email protected]

Vincent Guerriero

Vincent Guerriero

Senior Director, Strategic and WW Accounts

Applied Materials

Tony Krackeler

Tony Krackeler

President and CEO at Krackeler Scientific, Inc.

Christos Kyratsous

Christos Kyratsous, PhD

Senior Vice-President-Research

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals

Alan Lambowitz, PhD

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

Kristen W. Lynch, PhD

Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Melissa J. Moore, PhD

Melissa J. Moore, PhD

Chief Scientific Officer, Moderna Therapeutics; Co-director, RNA Therapeutics Institute; Eleanor Eustis Farrington Chair in Cancer Research; Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School

Tony Rea

Tony Rea

Dell EMC

Erik Sontheimer, PhD

Erik Sontheimer, PhD

Professor, RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School

Tom Tuschl, PhD

Tom Tuschl, PhD

Investigator, HHMI; Professor and Head of the Laboratory of RNA Molecular Biology, The Rockefeller University

Gabriele Varani, PhD

Gabriele Varani, PhD

Member, European Academy of Sciences; Professor of Biochemistry and Professor of Chemistry, University of Washington

Eric Westhof, PhD

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

Sarah Woodson, PhD

Professor, Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University; Fellow AAAS; President, The RNA Society

 

Ada E Yonath, PhD

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

 

 

Executive Council
Marlene Belfort

Marlene Belfort, PhD

Distinguished Professor, Senior Advisor of RNA Institute

518-437-4466

[email protected]
Scott Tenenbaum

Scott Tenenbaum, PhD

Associate Professor of Nanobioscience, Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering

[email protected]

J. Andrew Berglund

Andy Berglund, PhD

Professor, Director of The RNA Institute

518-442-4300

[email protected]

Gabriele Fuchs

Gabriele Fuchs, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany

518-442-3621

[email protected]
Ken Halvorsen

Ken Halvorsen, PhD

Senior Research Scientist, The RNA Institute

518-591-8816

[email protected]

Thomas Begley

Tom Begley, PhD

Professor of Biological Sciences, Associate Director of RNA Institute

518-437-4443

[email protected]

Alexander Ciota

Alexander Ciota, PhD

Assistant Professor

518-485-6616

[email protected]

Pheonah Badu

Pheonah Badu

RNA Fellow

[email protected]

Daniel Aalberts

Daniel Aalberts, PhD

Professor of Physics, Williams College

413-597-3520

[email protected]

Janice Pata

Janice Pata, PhD

Chair & Professor

518-402-2595

[email protected]

Alexander Shekhtman

Alexander Shekhtman, PhD

Professor, Chair and Director, Graduate Program

518-442-4163

[email protected]

Gabriele Baniulyte

Gabriele Baniulyte, PhD

Postdoc, Biomedical Sciences, Wadsworth Center

[email protected]

SSheadshot

Sangeetha Selvam, PhD

Science Communication Specialist

518-437-4443

[email protected]

Anil Ojha

Anil K, Ojha, PhD

Associate Professor, Biomedical Sciences

518-473-6327

[email protected]

Mehmet Yigit

Mehmet Yigit, PhD

Associate Professor

518-442-3002

[email protected]