Academic Consortium for Personalized RNA Therapies

Inaugural Workshop  •  October 28, 2026  •  2:00–6:30 p.m.  •  Coronado, California

The Society for RNA Therapeutics (SRT) is facilitating a new initiative: the Academic Consortium for Personalized RNA Therapies, co-chaired by Jeff Coller, John Cooke, Pieter Cullis, and Drew Weissman.

The Consortium will bring together scientists and clinicians with interest and activity in personalized RNA cancer vaccines and individualized RNA therapies for rare diseases. Its intent is to facilitate the emergence of academic centers of excellence that design and develop personalized RNA therapeutics, conduct clinical trials, and gain regulatory approval for therapeutic platforms.

Program

Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Registration opens at 1:00 p.m.; the program runs 2:00 to 6:30 p.m., followed by the ASCENT opening reception. Download the full program (PDF).

1:00p
Registration
2:00p
Welcoming RemarksIntroduction to the Academic Consortium for Personalized RNA Therapies
John P. Cooke, M.D., Ph.D., Houston Methodist Research Institute; Weill Cornell Medical College
The Promise of Personalized mRNA Cancer Vaccines Moderator: Pieter Cullis, Ph.D., University of British Columbia
2:05p
University-sponsored Clinical Trials in mRNA Cancer VaccinesJohn P. Cooke, M.D., Ph.D., Houston Methodist Research Institute
2:10p
Industry-sponsored Clinical Trials in mRNA Cancer VaccinesBen Greenbaum, Ph.D., Co-Director, Vaccine Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Manufacturing in an Academic Environment Co-moderators: Graham Taylor, Ph.D., Helix Biotech, and Jesse Erasmus, Ph.D., HDT Bio
2:30p
Solving Problems in Manufacturing and Analytical CharacterizationAndrew Varley, Ph.D., Director, RNA and Formulation Core, University of British Columbia
2:45p
cGMP Manufacturing in an Academic EnvironmentMurilo Bueno, Ph.D., Scientific Director, RNACore, Houston Methodist Research Institute
3:00p
Translating mRNA into medicines: the design, manufacture and delivery of mRNA-LNPs at BASETimothy Mercer, Ph.D., Professor, BASE, AIBN, University of Queensland
Federal Innovation to Facilitate Academic Programs Moderator: John P. Cooke, M.D., Ph.D., Houston Methodist Hospital
3:15p
The Future of US Clinical Development: Pathways for First-in-Human Clinical Trials of RNA TherapeuticsTim Scott, President and CEO, Biocom
3:35p
Genetic Medicines and Individualized Manufacturing for Everyone (GIVE)John Schiel, Ph.D., Program Manager, Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H)
4:00p
HDT Bio: The Distributed RNA Synthesis (DRS) Team of ARPA-H GIVEJesse Erasmus, Ph.D., Director of Virology, HDT Bio
4:10p
Brown University: The FUSE Team of ARPA-H GIVEAnubhav Tripathi, Ph.D., CV Starr Professor of Engineering and Medical Sciences, Brown University
4:20p
Break
Emerging Academic Programs in Personalized mRNA Cancer Vaccines Co-chairs: Bruce Sullenger, Ph.D., and Smita Nair, Ph.D., Duke University
4:35p
University of British Columbia: The AVENGERsMike Hughes, Ph.D., Lead, Personalized Cancer Vaccine Program, University of British Columbia
4:45p
University of Pennsylvania: Penn Institute for RNA InnovationIrina Shkundina, Ph.D., Senior Research Investigator, Weissman Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania
4:55p
Johns Hopkins University: RNA Innovation CenterMichelle Kim, Ph.D., Managing Director, RNA Innovation Center, Johns Hopkins University
5:05p
Mayo Clinic RNA Therapeutics ProgramShubh Roy, Ph.D., Director, Mayo Clinic RNA Synthesis Facility, presenting on behalf of Nilüfer Ertekin-Taner, M.D., Ph.D.
5:15p
West Virginia University: The Montimeran mRNA PlatformF. Heath Damron, Ph.D., Director, Vaccine Development Center, West Virginia University
5:25p
From Sequence to Patient: Building the Operating System for Personalized RNA TherapiesJason Barbour, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, Echo Immunotherapeutics, Inc.
5:35p
Open Discussion and Next StepsModerator: John P. Cooke, M.D., Ph.D. What is the rationale for academic programs in personalized mRNA cancer vaccines, and what are the hurdles?
6:30p
ASCENT Opening Reception6:30 to 8:30 p.m., hosted by the Alliance for mRNA Medicines and sponsored by Wacker Biotech

Consortium Co-Chairs

Jeff Coller

Jeff Coller, Ph.D.

Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of RNA Biology and Therapeutics
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD USA
John P. Cooke

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

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

Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UBC
Founding Director, Centre for Drug Research and Development
Vancouver, BC Canada
Drew Weissman

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

2023 Nobel Laureate in Medicine
Professor in Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Director, Penn Institute for RNA Innovation
Philadelphia, PA USA

What the Consortium Will Do

  • Serve as a forum for the exchange of information and the development of best practices in manufacturing drug product and conducting clinical trials
  • Support multi-center trials and the generation of a federated data set that can help support regulatory approval of the platform

Key Dates

Our first effort is in personalized mRNA cancer vaccines. The Consortium's inaugural workshop is held on the opening day of the joint meeting of the Society for RNA Therapeutics and the Alliance for mRNA Medicines.

Inaugural Consortium Workshop October 28, 2026  |  Coronado, CA
ASCENT 2026 (Joint SRT/AMM Meeting) October 28–30, 2026  |  Coronado, CA

Join us in Coronado: register for ASCENT 2026 to attend the inaugural workshop and the joint meeting.

Supported By

Registration

Online registration is closed. You can still register in person at the workshop table outside the Tidelands Room, Coronado Island Marriott, from 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 28. The workshop is free for SRT members and ASCENT 2026 registrants. Not yet either? Join SRT before you arrive, or join at the table.

Recording and photography. Please be aware that portions of the conference will be recorded and/or photographed. Your presence at the Workshop constitutes your consent to be photographed and/or filmed, either in the background or as part of B-roll footage during the event. Content may be used in connection with the Society for RNA Therapeutics and its initiatives, including, but not limited to, use on websites, in social media, and for promotional materials. Additionally, there may be opportunities for short, recorded interviews during the event. Participation in these interviews is entirely voluntary, and you are not obligated to take part if you do not wish to.