For Immediate Release
Society announces expanded leadership team and issues a rallying call to scientists, physicians, and related professionals worldwide to come together as a unified field and accelerate RNA medicine for patients.
The Society for RNA Therapeutics (SRT), the international organization dedicated to advancing RNA-based medicines, today announces both a major expansion and enhancement of its leadership team as well as the issue of a clear call to action for the RNA sector.
RNA medicine is at a pivotal and defining moment. The science generated by the RNA field has never been more promising and the pace of innovation has continued to increase. As a result, the opportunity to develop and deliver transformative therapies to patients has never been greater. To meet that opportunity, the Society is convening the global RNA community as a single, unified field and inviting every scientist, physician, and related professional working with RNA therapies to join the effort.
"RNA medicine is one of the most consequential therapeutic frontiers of our generation. Every scientist, physician, and related professional working with RNA therapies has a stake in this future, and a seat at this table. The Society for RNA Therapeutics is here to convene workers in the field to imagine and to advance its future. We call on the global RNA community to join us." John P. Cooke, M.D., Ph.D., President, Society for RNA Therapeutics, and Director, Center for RNA Therapeutics, Houston Methodist Research Institute
To meet this moment, SRT is announcing a series of leadership appointments designed to give the Society the strategic, scientific, and operational depth required to deliver for the sector. Luke Thorstenson joins as Executive Director. Andrew Varley, Ph.D., joins as Secretary and member of the Board of Directors.
The Society's inaugural executive leadership will continue in their roles for an additional two-year term: President John P. Cooke, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Center for RNA Therapeutics at Houston Methodist Research Institute; Vice President Bruce A. Sullenger, Ph.D., Joseph W. and Dorothy W. Beard Distinguished Professor of Experimental Surgery at Duke University; and Treasurer Lior Zangi, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Cardiology and Associate Professor of Genetics & Genomic Sciences, with tenure, and the Chan Soon-Shiong Professor of Cardiovascular Research at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
"This is a transformational moment for the Society and for the field," said Dr. Cooke, President, Society for RNA Therapeutics. "This expanded team gives the Society the strategic, scientific, and operational leadership to further achieve the Society's mission of education, advocacy, professional development, and guidelines for scientists and clinicians working in RNA therapeutics, at a time when the field is poised for extraordinary impact."
As a professional society for the RNA field, SRT exists to convene its community, educate its members, advocate for the science, and set the standards by which the field advances. With the expanded leadership team in place, the Society is sharpening its focus on the activities that define a leading professional society and that the RNA field most needs. Over the next 24 months, SRT will:
A central focus of the Society's next chapter is strengthening the connection between academic research and industry careers in RNA therapeutics. Through its annual meeting, seminar series, and member programming, SRT will give the next generation of RNA scientists direct access to leaders across both academia and industry, opening clear pathways for trainees.
"SRT is the bridge between academia and industry," said Dr. Lior Zangi, Treasurer of Society for RNA Therapeutics and co-founder of several RNA therapeutic companies. "This is something the next generation of RNA scientists needs. Trainees today want to understand the full landscape of RNA therapeutics, including how the science translates into careers in industry, and the Society is uniquely positioned to give them direct access to that conversation."
The Society is extending a direct invitation to academic principal investigators, translational researchers, core facility directors, and trainees working across the full breadth of RNA, including mRNA, siRNA, saRNA, circRNA, miRNA, antisense, aptamers, and beyond, to join the Society and help shape what comes next.
"RNA therapies are transforming medicine. The pace of innovation demands an organization that can keep up," said Thorstenson, Executive Director, Society for RNA Therapeutics. "Joining the Society allows me to contribute my experience with the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine to help build the programs, partnerships, and infrastructure our members need across the RNA sector to translate breakthroughs into patient impact."
Luke Thorstenson, Executive Director
Luke Thorstenson brings two decades of experience building and scaling organizations that advance emerging therapeutic modalities. As the first full-time member of the team that founded the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), he helped grow the organization from a startup advocacy effort into the leading global organization for the cell and gene therapy sector, building the operational infrastructure, partnerships, and programs that established ARM as an essential resource for the field. He currently serves as Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Institute for NanoBioTechnology at Johns Hopkins University, where he advances interdisciplinary research and helps drive the establishment and growth of new centers, including the RNA Innovation Center.
Andrew Varley, Ph.D., Secretary and Board Director
Dr. Varley is a recognized leader in RNA platform engineering, having built UBC's RNA & Formulation Core from concept into an efficiency-first facility delivering hundreds of unique RNA products annually. He has been instrumental in convening academic medical centers to develop best practices in RNA biomanufacturing, work he will continue and expand at the Society. His expertise spans mRNA, siRNA, saRNA, and circRNA design, manufacturing, analytics, and GMP-aligned processes.
"RNA therapeutics have the potential to redefine how we treat disease, but realizing that promise requires shared standards, informed early-stage research, and manufacturing approaches designed for translation," said Dr. Varley, Secretary and Board Director, SRT. "By strengthening how RNA medicines are developed and produced from the outset, we can reduce risk, lower barriers, and make these therapies more accessible to patients worldwide."
The Society for RNA Therapeutics is a non-profit, professional organization whose mission is to promote research, education, and developments in RNA therapeutics to improve global health. The Society serves as a global network for sharing information on translational research and development of RNA therapeutics; provides public and professional education; develops training guidelines and supports early career and professional development; facilitates public, private, and regulatory partnerships and develops standards for RNA manufacturing; develops guidelines for clinical trials and clinical best practices in RNA therapeutics; and advocates for accessibility to RNA therapeutics in service of global health. To learn more, get involved, or become a member, visit srnat.org.