About Us

The people and purpose behind the Society for RNA Therapeutics

Our Mission

The Society for RNA Therapeutics (SRT) is a global network to support translational research and development of RNA therapeutics; to develop standards for RNA manufacturing, guidelines for clinical trials, and to facilitate public-private-regulatory partnerships and to advocate for accessible RNA therapeutics for all patients.

SRT aims to provide public and professional education and develop training guidelines; to advocate for patients with diseases amenable to RNA therapies; to develop clinical best practices in RNA therapeutics; to support early career and professional development; and to advocate accessibility to RNA therapeutics for low and middle income countries for the enhancement of global health.

Our Team

John P. Cooke

John P. Cooke, M.D., Ph.D.

President
Bruce A. Sullenger

Bruce A. Sullenger, Ph.D.

Vice President
Lior Zangi

Lior Zangi, Ph.D.

Treasurer
Andrew Varley

Andrew Varley, Ph.D.

Secretary
Luke Thorstenson

Luke Thorstenson, MBA

Executive Director

Board of Directors

Virginia Arechavala-Gomeza

Virginia Arechavala-Gomeza, Ph.D.

Board Member
Ikerbasque Research Professor
Group Leader, Nucleic Acid Therapeutics for Rare Diseases (NAT-RD)
Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute
Barakaldo, Spain
Jeff Coller

Jeff Coller, Ph.D.

Board Member
Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of RNA Biology and Therapeutics
Johns Hopkins University
John P. Cooke

John P. Cooke, M.D., Ph.D.

President
Medical Director, Center for RNA Therapeutics
Chief Translational Officer, Houston Methodist Academic Institute
Houston, TX USA
Pieter R. Cullis

Pieter R. Cullis, Ph.D., FRSC, FNAI

Board Member
Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UBC
Founding Director, Centre for Drug Research and Development
Vancouver BC, Canada
Amanda E. Hargrove

Amanda E. Hargrove, Ph.D.

Board Member
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Duke University
Durham, NC USA
Michelle L. Hastings

Michelle L. Hastings, Ph.D.

Board Member
Pfizer Upjohn Research Professor of Pharmacology
Director, M-RNA Therapeutics
University of Michigan Medical School
Ann Arbor, MI USA
Adrian Krainer

Adrian Krainer, Ph.D.

Board Member
St. Giles Foundation Professor
Cancer Center Deputy Director of Research
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Cold Spring Harbor, NY USA
Dan Peer

Prof. Dan Peer, Ph.D.

Board Member
Director, Laboratory of Precision NanoMedicine
Shmunis School for Biomedicine and Cancer Research
Tel Aviv University
Ramat Aviv, Tel-Aviv, Israel
Anna Marie Pyle

Anna Marie Pyle, Ph.D.

Board Member
Sterling Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and Professor of Chemistry
Yale University
New Haven, CT USA
John J. Rossi

John J. Rossi, Ph.D.

Board Member
Professor and Director, Center for RNA Biology and Therapeutics
Dean Emeritus, Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences
City of Hope
Duarte, CA USA
Bruce A. Sullenger

Bruce A. Sullenger, Ph.D.

Vice President
Joseph and Dorothy Beard Professor, Department of Surgery
Duke University
Durham, NC USA
Andrew Varley

Andrew Varley, Ph.D.

Secretary
Founding Director & Head of R&D, RNA & Formulation Core
The University of British Columbia
Vancouver, Canada
Drew Weissman

Drew Weissman, M.D., Ph.D.

2023 Nobel Laureate in Medicine
Professor in Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research
Director, Penn Institute for RNA Innovation
PA, USA
Jeremy E. Wilusz

Jeremy E. Wilusz, Ph.D.

Board Member
Ruth McLean Bowmen Bowers Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology
Director of Academic Development, Therapeutic Innovation Center
Baylor College of Medicine
Timothy Yu

Timothy Yu, M.D., Ph.D.

Board Member
Attending Physician, Division of Genetics and Genomics
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
Boston Children's Hospital
Boston, MA USA
Lior Zangi

Lior Zangi, Ph.D.

Treasurer
Associate Professor, Genetics and Genomic Sciences
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, NY USA