Dr. Blakney is an Assistant Professor and Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in the Michael Smith Laboratories and School of Biomedical Engineering at UBC. She received her Bachelor of Science in Chemical & Biological Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and her PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Washington. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Imperial College London on the development of molecular and biomaterial engineering strategies for delivery of self-amplifying RNA. Her lab uses bioengineering, molecular biology and immunology approaches to develop the next generation of RNA vaccines and therapies. Her research has been published in a variety of top tier journals including ACS Nano, Nature Communications, Molecular Therapy, Biomaterials, Journal of Controlled Release, and Advanced Materials. She is also a passionate science communicator and runs a TikTok channel dedicated to educating the public about RNA biotechnology, which now has >250,000 followers and >18M views.

Dr. Blakney has received numerous awards and recognitions in addition to the Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Nucleic Acid Bioengineering, including the 2023 MIT Tech Review’s 35 Innovators Under 35, 2022 Gairdner Early Career Investigator Award, the 2021 UBC President’s Award for Public Education Through Media and the 2022 Controlled Release Society Gene Delivery and Editing Focus Group Young Investigator Award.

Dr. Bo Ying has dedicated over a decade of his career to the technology research into nucleic acid -based therapeutics and the development of transformative drugs. He founded Abogen, a biotechnology company with a mission of curing otherwise untreatable diseases through mRNA science and technology. 

As the founder, Dr Ying also has served as Chairman of the board and CEO of Abogen. Under his leadership, the company has established its own proprietary mRNA platform and delivery technology that allowed the development of the therapeutics and vaccines for infectious diseases, cancer, and rare diseases. Most recently, Abogen’s mRNA platform capabilities have come together to allow the authorized use and approval of first China made mRNA vaccine against the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Prior to founding Abogen, Dr Ying had held several roles at numerous leading biopharmaceutical and biotechnologies companies in the US, mainly responsible for leading drug formulation, process development, technology transfer and manufacturing. Across his career, he takes pride in a broad array of innovative drug developing experiences in siRNA, mRNA-based therapies for tumor immunotherapy、cancer vaccines and gene-editing drug product candidates. 

Dr. Ying received his bachelor’s degree in life sciences from Fudan University, Shanghai, and Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences from Northeastern University. He is credited as the inventor of a dozen issued patents and patent applications, and his work appears in journals such as Cell and Lancet. 

Over the years, Dr. Ying has held several positions in influential organizations. From 2018 to 2019, he served as the president of the Chinese-American BioMedical Association (CABA) in Boston, where he made contributions to the advancement of science and technological innovation with great potential to improve human health.

Dan Peer is a Professor and Director of the Laboratory of Precision Nanomedicine and Vice President for Research at Tel Aviv University. He did pioneer work in developing strategies to deliver RNA payloads in a cell specific manner. He developed one of the largest lipid libraries with more than 100,000 different lipids.

Peer lab was the first to show systemic cell specific delivery of mRNA molecules in an animal and the first to show highly efficient therapeutic genome editing in cancer in a cell type specific manner. He also developed the first bacterial mRNA vaccine.

Dr. Peer is the recipient of more than 35 awards and honors. He holds 148 pending and granted patents that have been licensed to 13 companies and more than 10 strategies he developed are currently in clinical testing. He is the founder of 4 startup companies (one was acquired by Danaher Cooperation in 2021). 

He has published more than 180 manuscripts; 3 books and gave numerous invited, plenary and keynote talks worldwide. He also serves as an editor and on the editorial board of more than 20 journals. Dr. Peer is a Member of the Israel Young Academy and International Member of the US National Academy of Engineering. He was recently elected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors in the USA.

Dr. Xiangrong Song is a recognized leader in RNA drug development and targeted delivery technologies. With nearly 20 years of experience in nanomedicine and translational research, she has advanced multiple novel therapies from concept to clinic. She is the scientific founder and General Manager of WestGene Biopharma and a professor at the National Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University.

Under her leadership, WestGene has successfully developed China’s first mRNA-based adjuvant approved under EUA, and advanced several first-in-class mRNA drugs into clinical trials in China and the US. The company’s in vivo CAR-T program, also led by Dr. Song, has entered clinical evaluation, offering a new approach to scalable and accessible cell therapy.

Dr. Song’s work has been recognized with top national innovation awards and multiple honors for scientific achievement. She actively serves on editorial boards and biotech committees, and continues to drive global collaborations in oncology, immunotherapy, and next-generation delivery platforms.

Dr. Muthiah (Mano) Manoharan serves as a Senior Vice President and a Distinguished Research Scientist at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Dr. Manoharan joined Alnylam in 2003. He built the chemistry group at Alnylam and pioneered the discovery and development of RNA interference-based human therapeutics. Dr. Manoharan has had a distinguished career as a world-leading chemist in the areas of oligonucleotide chemical modifications, conjugation chemistry, and delivery platforms (lipid nanoparticles, polymer conjugates, and complex-forming strategies). He is an author of more than 200 publications (nearly 37,000 citations with an h-index of 85 and an i10-index of 329) and over 400 abstracts, as well as the inventor of over 225 issued U.S. patents.

Zefeng Wang is a chair professor of Southern University of Science and Technology, and the scientific founder of Shanghai CirCode Biomedicine Inc.  His research focuses on the regulation of gene expression in RNA level.   His group uses bio computational and experimental approaches to study RNA regulation in a systematic fashion, and developed artificial proteins to specifically manipulate RNA metabolism. He has discovered the noncanonical translation of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in human cells, which promoted the use of circRNA as new generation of mRNA therapy.  His work was recognized by many research awards, including RNA Society/Scaringe Young Scientist Award, Alfred Sloan Research Fellow, Beckman Young Investigator, Max-Planck Fellow, CAS pioneer hundred talents program (type A), etc.  Based on the research from his lab, he co-founded the CirCode BioMed Inc that seeks to develop circRNA drugs for various human diseases.

Dr. Pankaj Trivedi obtained his doctorate from Karolinska Institute, Sweden. Currently, he is a Professor of Laboratory Medicine at the faculty of Medicine, Sapienza University in Rome, Italy. Dr. Trivedi has also served as visiting professor, BIDMC, Harvard Medical School, Boston. Over the last 30 years, his main interest has been to study the role of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in pathogenesis of B cell lymphomas. The Trivedi lab has made some pioneering contributions how EBV through its latent proteins alters cellular microRNAs for immune evasion. He is a coinventor of the RNA aided Immunotherapeutics related patent and has authored over 70 papers in this field.

Dr. Pad Chivukula, Ph.D. is the Chief Scientific Officer and Chief Operating Officer at Arcturus Therapeutics. With a rich foundation in nanoparticle technology, Dr. Chivukula expertly guides Arcturus’ efforts in discovering and developing transformative medicines for serious diseases. Since co-founding Arcturus with Joseph Payne in 2013, he has significantly advanced the company’s research capabilities and pipeline, focusing on RNA therapies and vaccines.

Under his leadership, the R&D organization thrives on a culture of urgency to meet patient needs, integrating advanced therapeutic platforms and streamlining processes. His prior experience includes a significant tenure at Nitto, where he was a Group Leader and Chief Scientist, and led the polymeric RNAi research department. Dr. Chivukula holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the University of Utah, specializing in nanoparticle technology.

Dr. Ni Qianqian is a tenure-track Assistant Professor at National University of Singapore. She obtained her MD and PhD from Nanjing University, China. She did PhD and postdoc research training at National Institutes of Health (NIH), US before joining National University of Singapore. Dr. Ni’s research has been dedicated to advancing the application of nanotechnologies in RNA delivery. Her work focuses on two key areas: 1) the development of nucleic acid nanomedicines for cancer immunomodulation and theranostics, and 2) the innovation of lipid nanoparticle technologies and RNA modifications to enhance protein production.

Trained as an immunologist at the Pasteur Institute (Paris, France), Steve Pascolo used mouse models to test and develop mRNA-based vaccines (direct injection of mRNA) during his post-doc in Tuebingen, Germany from 1998 till 2000. In 2000, he co-founded CureVac with Dr. Hoerr and Dr. von der Mulbe. Steve Pascolo was Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of the company from 2000 till 2006, developing the technology, implementing the worldwide first pharmaceutical (GMP) production of synthetic mRNA and starting in 2003 the worldwide first clinical studies where humans (including first himself) got injections of in vitro transcribed mRNA. In 2006, he joined the oncology department of the University Hospital of Zurich, Switzerland and continued the development of immunotherapies based on RNA. In 2008, he founded Miescher Pharma to support this work. In 2013, he joined the dermatology department of the University Hospital of Zurich, Switzerland. In 2017, Steve Pascolo implemented in the University of Zurich an academic mRNA platform https://www.cancer.uzh.ch/en/Research/mRNA-Platform.html. In collaboration with several research and clinical departments in Zurich he optimizes, tests and implements mRNA based vaccines and therapies.

Ed Yaworski is the Chief Technology Officer at Genevant Sciences GmbH where he leads the development of nucleic acid therapeutics utilizing Genevant’s proprietary lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology or next generation ligand conjugate technology. He has more than 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry including over 20 years working with delivery systems for nucleic acids, during which he helped advance more than a dozen products into clinical trials in the areas of oncology, metabolic disorders, and infectious diseases. Ed is an expert in LNP pharmaceutical development, scale-up, lyophilization, and manufacturing. He is a pioneer of LNP formulation methods and compositions and is an inventor of Genevant’s leading LNP delivery technology. Ed holds an MSc in Chemistry from the University of Manitoba.

David Jürgens, Ph.D., is co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of RNhale GmbH, a Munich-based biotech pioneering inhaled RNA therapeutics for chronic respiratory diseases. After completing his doctorate in pharmaceutical sciences, David pursued postdoctoral research in Prof. Olivia Merkel’s laboratory, focusing on RNA delivery and pulmonary administration, before transitioning to entrepreneurship. At RNhale, he leads the development of dry powder formulations and lipid nanoparticle-based RNA platforms for diseases such as COPD and severe asthma. Under his scientific leadership, RNhale secured a prestigious EIC Transition grant and the Seal of Excellence, as well as the Daiichi Sankyo Golden Ticket.

Dr. Getts is the CEO and co-founder of Myeloid Therapeutics, a clinical-stage immunology company based in Cambridge. Under his leadership, Myeloid Therapeutics has raised over $200 million in combined equity and non-dilutive financing to support the translation of cutting-edge mRNA immune cell programming therapies to the clinic. Myeloid is renowned as the first company in the world to deliver in vivo CAR therapy to humans. Dr. Getts is also the founder and interim CEO of Aurora Biosynthetics, a Myeloid subsidiary focused on GMP DNA & RNA manufacturing, based in Sydney, Australia.

Prior to founding Myeloid, Dr. Getts was the Vice President of Research at TCR2 Therapeutics (NASDAQ: TCRR), where he was a pivotal member of the leadership team that successfully secured a Series B financing round of $120 million and an IPO of approximately $80 million. 

Before his tenure at TCR2, Dr. Getts was the founder, inventor, and Chief Scientific Officer of Cour Pharmaceuticals Development Company. Cour is a nanotechnology platform company dedicated to addressing autoimmunity and inflammation. During his time there, Dr. Getts was instrumental in company formation, development and execution of clinical programs and negotiating several pharmaceutical collaborations and licenses, including a significant partnership with Takeda, which licensed TIMP-GLIA (TAK-101) for $420 million plus royalties.

Earlier in his career, Dr. Getts served as the Director of Research & Development at Tolera Therapeutics. In this role, he was the lead immunologist responsible for advancing the company’s monoclonal T-cell antibody program from discovery to Phase 3 clinical trials.

Dr. Getts has received numerous honors and awards and holds over 100 patents and patent applications. Since 2010, he has played a direct or indirect role in bringing nine novel RNA, cell, and immune products from discovery to the clinic. He is widely published, with over 50 peer-reviewed publications in prestigious journals, including Nature Biotechnology, Science Translational Medicine, and Nature Communications.

Dr. Getts completed his postdoctoral training at Northwestern University in Stephen D. Miller’s laboratory. He holds a PhD in Medicine from the University of Sydney and an MBA from Western Michigan University. His extensive expertise and groundbreaking contributions to the fields of immunology and RNA therapeutics make him a distinguished leader and innovator in the biotech industry.

Tobias Poehlmann, Biologist by training, did his PhD in cancer biology investigating the effect of silencing genes involved in cell signaling in cancer cells. Involved in the European Network of Excellence “EMBIC” he intensified his knowledge in the field of silencing oligonucleotides and built his scientific network. As an independent researcher he stepped in the field of therapeutic oligonucleotides, developed the technology of peptide-siRNA prodrugs and Co-founded several companies focused on oligonucleotide drug development and GMP manufacturing. Tobias is a university lecturer and enthusiastic oligonucleotides scientist.

Dr. Mohamed ElSayed is the Executive Director of NATi, where he previously served as its inaugural Chief Scientific Officer. He brings over 25 years of leadership experience across the pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic sectors. Prior to NATi, he was the Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at RVAC Medicines and formerly the Vice President of Biotechnology at Eli Lilly, where he led the development of oral biologics and mRNA platforms, advancing multiple assets from discovery to clinical proof-of-concept. He has also held senior roles at Abbvie, Samyang, and Guilford Pharmaceuticals, and was a tenured professor at the University of Michigan. Dr. ElSayed holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy from Cairo University and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Maryland. He completed his postdoctoral research at the University of Washington with fellowships from the National Cancer Society and the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Dr. Chuang Liu is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (Faculty of Science) and Department of Physiology (Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine), National University of Singapore. He received his PhD in Materials Physics and Chemistry from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 06/2021, where he conducted research in Prof. Aiguo Wu’s lab at the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology & Engineering. Dr. Liu is a recipient of the Special Prize of the President Scholarship 2021 from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. From 01/2020 to 06/2021, he was a visiting PhD student in Prof. Wei Tao’s lab at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, where he continued as a Research Fellow from 06/2021 to 06/2023, focusing on mRNA-based therapies for cancer and other diseases. Since 06/2023, he has been working in Prof. Khalid Shah’s lab on mRNA and gene-edited cell therapies for cancer immunotherapy.  Dr. Liu’s research interests lie in immunotherapy, particularly for cancer, using modalities such as mRNA, gene-engineered cells and bacteria, and oncolytic viruses. He has published 24 first- and co-corresponding authorship papers in top-tier journals, including Nature Nanotechnology 2025, Nature Reviews Bioengineering 2025, Nature Reviews Cancer 2023, Nature Reviews Materials 2025, Nature Protocols 2022, Nature Materials 2023, Nature Reviews Chemistry (2024 and 2025), Nature Reviews Endocrinology 2025, Advanced Materials, Chemical Society Reviews, Nano Letters, and Angewandte Chemie, etc.

Heinrich Haas， Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz Mainz, Germany. Ph.D. in the group of Prof. Dr. Helmuth Möhwald at Johannes-Gutenberg Universität Mainz. Researched lipid membranes and organized bio-molecular systems. In pharmaceutical industry (Munich Biotech, Medigene, BioNTech) developed different types of nanoparticle products to clinical stage. Focus on advanced approaches for nanoparticle development and control.

Zhongkun Zhang, PhD is an Associate Professor of Pharmacology at Southeast University School of Medicine and an internationally trained researcher in RNA therapeutics and drug delivery systems. He received his PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from The Ohio State University and completed postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. His research focuses on lipid nanoparticle–mediated nucleic acid delivery, immune-oncology, and CNS therapeutics, integrating formulation science with translational medicine. He has authored publications in leading journals, holds multiple international patents, and has secured competitive funding in China. His work aims to advance precision RNA therapeutics toward clinical translation.

Rok Sekirnik graduated with a degree in chemistry from the University of Oxford, where he also completed his PhD. His team at Sartorius BIA Separations focuses on developing high purity, cost-effective production and purification approaches for pDNA and mRNA. His team has pioneered the use of at-line monitoring  coupled with digital tools to understand and control IVT reaction for maximal yield. They have recently developed a dsRNA removal technique based on Oligo dT chromatography and continue to innovate by applying fundamental chemistry principles to solve challenges in bioprocessing.

Arun Kumar is the RNA Innovation Programs Leader at the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) in Oslo, Norway. CEPI’s mission is to accelerate the development of vaccines for emerging infectious diseases and to ensure global access to these vaccines during outbreaks. Dr. Kumar has previously held leadership positions at GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines and Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics, focusing his career on advancing next-generation platform technologies in vaccine development and translational sciences. At CEPI, he leads an RNA innovation portfolio aimed at transforming RNA-based vaccine technologies and has contributed to the successful licensure of COVID-19 vaccines. Dr. Kumar holds a Ph.D. in Immunology and Infectious Diseases from the University of Helsinki, Finland