RNA Frontiers: From Mechanisms to Medicine
This year’s symposium explores the dynamic world of RNA, highlighting how fundamental mechanisms and molecular machines are shaping both our understanding of cellular processes and the development of next-generation medical innovations. Through cutting-edge scientific talks and a patient advocacy panel discussion, we will explore a wide range of topics spanning epigenetics, genome editing, RNA structure, and translational research, and discover together how RNA is propelling biological discovery from molecular intricacy to real-world impact in medicine and beyond.
Early bird registration is now open!
*PLEASE NOTE: You will be notified that you must have an Iris account in order to register.
- Visit the Registration Page in the link at the button above
- On the sign-in screen, sign in with your Iris account credentials or select “Don’t have an account, Sign Up”
- Follow the instructions to create your account and register for the Symposium
- Creating your account will allow you to log back in to edit your registration responses
- If you experience an issue registering, please clear your cookies and cache (HERE’S HOW) and try to register again. If you are still experiencing an issue, please reach out to Paul Avedisian at paulave@umich.edu.
10th Annual RNA Symposium – RNA Frontiers: From Mechanisms to Medicine
March 6-7, 2026 | Kahn Auditorium, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Campus
Center for RNA Biomedicine
Join us for a series of dynamic presentations, panel discussions, and collaborative sessions
designed to push the boundaries of RNA research and foster interdisciplinary collaboration.
Dates: March 6 – 7, 2026
Location: Kahn Auditorium and ABC Seminar Rooms
Biomedical Science Research Building (BSRB)
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Campus
2026 RNA Symposium Speakers
Click to view the program (Coming Soon).
The Center for RNA Biomedicine at the University of Michigan proudly invites you to the 2026 RNA Symposium. Taking place from Friday, March 6 to Saturday, March 7, 2026, this premier event will convene thought leaders and pioneering researchers in the field of RNA science and biomedicine.
Welcome to our 2026 RNA Symposium Sponsors!
Interested in becoming a sponsor for 2026?
Or contact Paul Avedisian at paulave@umich.edu or 734-764-8024
Download the sponsorship flyer pdf here.
Scheduled speakers:
Daniel S. Och University Professor
Director of the Epigenetics Program
University of Pennsylvania
Biography
Shelley Berger, Ph.D., is the Daniel S. Och University Professor at University of Pennsylvania (Penn) and is a faculty member in the Cell & Developmental Biology Department and the Genetics Department in the Perelman School of Medicine, as well as the Biology Department in the School of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Berger also serves as founding and current director of the Epigenetics Institute at Penn School of Medicine. Dr. Berger earned her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and was a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She previously held the Hilary Koprowski Professorship at the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia. Dr. Berger has organized numerous international meetings on epigenetics and chromatin and served as Senior Editor at several journals, including Molecular and Cellular Biology. She is a member of advisory committees for foundations such as Stand Up to Cancer, research institutions such as Max Planck, and biotechnology companies such as Novartis and Chroma. She serves on review boards and panels for NIH Director’s Advisory Council, NIH/NIA Board of Scientific Counselors, Gladstone Institute at UCSF, IGBMC (Strasbourg), CPRIT (Texas), the European Research Council (Brussels), Cancer Research UK (London), and numerous individual extramural and intramural review panels at NIH. She has served on international committees to establish nomenclature for histone modifying enzymes and to help create the NIH-sponsored Human Epigenome Project. Dr. Berger received the Glenn Foundation Award in Aging, the Ellison Foundation Senior Scholar Award and the HHMI Collaborative Innovator Award. Dr. Berger is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine (2012), the American Association for Advancement of Science (2012), the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2013), the National Academy of Sciences (2018), and most recently the American Associated for Cancer Research (2021).
Dr. Berger has been a faculty member for twenty-five years, spending the last decade at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on chromatin biology and epigenetic regulation of the eukaryotic genome, focusing on post-translational modifications (PTMs) of histone proteins, and she teaches and mentors in these subjects for undergraduates and graduate students in the Biology Department and in the School of Medicine at Penn. Dr. Berger has mentored 12 graduate students and 20 post-doctoral fellows who are successful in careers encompassing academia, the pharmaceutical industry, and scientific writing and teaching careers. An additional 20 trainees are currently in the lab, including a mix of undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral, and medical fellows. Dr. Berger received the Penn Biomedical Postdoctoral Programs Distinguished Mentor Award in 2016, and the Stanley N. Cohen Award in 2016, the highest recognition for basic biomedical research at the Penn School of Medicine.
Over its history, research in Dr. Berger’s lab has uncovered numerous chromatin enzymes and has addressed fundamental questions on their mechanisms in modifying both histones and DNA binding activators (i.e., the tumor suppressor p53) in transcription. These findings have contributed to the explosion in broad interest and focus on epigenetics in biomedical research. Indeed, in recent years her lab’s effort has become increasingly focused on the study of mammalian biology and human diseases, including epigenetics in cancer and other diseases associated with aging, as well as epigenetic control of learning, memory, and behavior in mammals and the ant model system. To fund this broad research portfolio, Dr. Berger currently has three NIH individual R01 grants and she is PI of an NIH P01 grant. In 2017, Dr. Berger established Epivario Inc. to develop epigenetic treatments for neurological memory disorders. Dr. Berger’s lab has published more than 200 papers and reviews, with many in high impact journals such as Nature, Science, Cell, and Genes & Development. Her work on epigenetics of behavior in ants has been covered in The New York Times and The New Yorker magazine.
Title TBD
Abstract: TBD
R. Selden Rose Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry and Professor of Cell Biology
Director, Yale Center for RNA Science and Medicine
Biography
Karla Neugebauer holds a BS in Biology from Cornell University and a PhD in Neuroscience from UCSF. She switched gears to RNA biology as a postdoc with Mark Roth at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. There she participated in the initial description of the SR protein family of splicing regulators and was inspired to study RNA metabolism in vivo by combining imaging, genomics, and sequencing strategies. From 2001-2013 she was a Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute of Cell biology and Genetics in Dresden Germany. In 2013, she moved to Yale as a Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry and of Cell Biology. She has been the Director of the Yale Center for RNA Science and Biomedicine since 2018 and was recognized internationally for her work in RNA Biology by the RNA Society (2017 mid-career award). She has studied splicing in relation to nuclear speckles and discovered that most introns are removed during the process, or co-transcriptionally. Her lab has shown that snRNP assembly occurs in membraneless organelles called Cajal bodies (CBs) and that depletion of the CB scaffolding protein coilin is lethal in zebrafish embryos, due to a deficit in splicing. She is passionate about climate change, believing that everyone has something to contribute to meet its challenges. She is currently developing biochemistry curriculum to show the relevance of the discipline to meeting the current and future needs of our planet.
“Title TBD”
Abstract: TBD
Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Graduate Biomedical Sciences Member, Genetics, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Graduate Biomedical Sciences Member, Neuroscience Program, Tiampo Family Fellowship, Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University
“A splice-switching antisense oligonucleotide approach for pediatric epilepsies”
Abstract:
Variants in ion channel genes are common causes of pediatric epilepsy, often leading to intractable seizures, developmental delay and other comorbidities, which increases risk of death. Pathogenic variants in the SCN8A gene, which encodes a voltage-gated sodium channel critical for action potential generation in the brain, account for ~1% of genetic epilepsies. The voltage sensor in SCN8A domain 1 is encoded by one of two developmentally-regulated mutually exclusive alternative exons, 5N and 5A. We observe that variants in these exons are more likely to cause infantile spasms, a severe seizure type, than variants elsewhere in SCN8A, and that some pathogenic variants affect exon 5 splicing, impacting patient phenotype. Molecular and evolutionary analyses implicate the exon sequences of these and other voltage-gated ion channel alternative exons in splicing regulation. We identified antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) that shift splicing of SCN8A exon 5N to 5A or vice versa. These ASOs normalize neuronal activity in patient-derived iPSC neurons, and reduce seizures and motor impairment and extend lifespan in a new exon 5N mutant mouse model. Our results demonstrate that splice-switching ASOs can effectively reduce the expression of pathogenic isoforms and rescue both seizure and non-seizure phenotypes. Similar approaches should be applicable to pediatric genetic epilepsies caused by mutations in other ion channel alternative exons.
Biography
Madeleine is the Tiampo Family Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Tufts University, after completing a PhD in Neuroscience from King’s College London on adult neurogenesis and post-doctoral research at MIT on cancer metastasis. Her independent lab focuses on understanding the mechanisms by which the tumor microenvironment contributes to cancer metastasis and resistance to drugs. She has received numerous awards for her research such as a K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award in 2016 and a DP2 New Innovator Award in 2021 and was voted Exemplary Engineer by the graduate students in her department 3 years in a row for her commitment to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in biomedical engineering. In 2021, the diagnosis of her daughter Margot with mutations in the SCN8A gene led to her to start research on SCN8A in her own lab, work to develop an ASO for patients with SCN8A, and become an advocate for individuals with epilepsy and other disabilities.
Professor and Vice Chair, RNA Therapeutics Institute, Pillar Chair in Biomedical Research
UMass Chan Medical School
Biography
Erik J. Sontheimer, Ph.D., is the Pillar Chair in Biomedical Research and Professor at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, where he is also Vice Chair of the RNA Therapeutics Institute. He earned his Ph.D. from Yale in 1992, where he studied pre-mRNA splicing mechanisms in Joan Steitz’ laboratory. Following postdoctoral work with Joe Piccirilli at the University of Chicago, Sontheimer joined the faculty at Northwestern in 1999. He continued his work on the roles of RNA molecules in gene expression, including RNA interference mechanisms as well as the study of CRISPR immune systems in pathogenic bacteria. Among other advances, in 2008 his group reported that CRISPR systems target DNA molecules directly, and they became the first to recognize and articulate CRISPR’s potential for RNA-guided genome engineering. He has been honored with a CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation, a New Investigator Award in the Basic Pharmacological Sciences from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, a Basil O’Conner Award from the March of Dimes, a Scholar Award from the American Cancer Society, a Distinguished Teaching Award from the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern, the Nestlé Award from the American Society for Microbiology, the Mid-Career Award from the RNA Society, and election to the American Academy of Microbiology. He recently completed a term as Co-chair of the Steering Committee for the NIH Somatic Cell Genome Editing Consortium, and he currently serves as Co-chair of the Board of Scientific Counselors at the National Cancer Institute and as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board at Tessera Therapeutics. In 2014 he co-founded Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. for the development of clinical applications of CRISPR gene editing. That same year he also moved to UMass Chan Medical School, where he is continuing his research on the uses of RNA molecules in biomedical research and the treatment of human disease.
Francis S. Collins Collegiate Professor of Chemistry,
Biophysics & Biological Chemistry
Founding Co-Director, Center for RNA Biomedicine
University of Michigan
“Life in Flux: Dynamic RNA:Protein Complex Assembly Shapes Biomolecular Function“
Abstract:
The explosion of cryo-EM structures in recent years has underscored the stepwise assembly of stable biomolecular machines with defined, fixed compositions. In contrast, advances in single-molecule imaging—both in vitro and in live cells—are revealing a very different picture: Many biological complexes are not static but highly dynamic and transient. Instead of persisting as stable entities, their functions emerge from short-lived, fluid assemblies, whose lifetimes and outputs are governed by the kinetics of their components. This chemistry-driven paradigm shift—from rigid machines to kinetically controlled assemblies—offers a powerful framework for understanding gene regulation, proofreading, checkpoint control, and cellular adaptability. This talk will illustrate this evolving view with two case studies: the kinetically programmed exchange behavior of the RNA silencing machinery, and the dynamic assembly of phase-separated RNA-protein structures (RNP granules) in mammalian cells. I will also explore broader implications of this model, including how regulatory signals can fine-tune molecular function by modulating kinetic parameters, rather than altering structure or affinity per se. By reframing molecular cell biology through the lens of kinetic control and spatiotemporal organization, this presentation aims to offer a unifying conceptual foundation across diverse areas of biomolecular science.
Biography
Nils G. Walter is the Francis S. Collins Collegiate Professor of Chemistry, Biophysics & Biological Chemistry at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where he co-directs the Center for RNA Biomedicine and directs the Single Molecule Analysis in Real-Time (SMART) Center. Trained at the Technical University of Darmstadt (Diploma with Hans-Günther Gassen) and the Max-Planck Institute in Göttingen (Dr.-Ing. with Nobel laureate Manfred Eigen), he completed postdoctoral work in RNA biophysics before joining the Michigan faculty in 1999 and rising through the ranks.
Walter’s laboratory develops and applies single-molecule and super-resolution fluorescence methods to reveal how noncoding RNAs and RNA:protein machines fold, interact, and function in vitro and in living cells. His group’s methodological and conceptual advances have illuminated heterogeneous folding and catalysis in ribozymes and riboswitches, the biochemistry of the splicing and RNA silencing machineries, intracellular RNA trafficking and RNA:protein complex phase separation, and new paradigms for ultra-sensitive RNA, DNA and protein biomarker detection. These contributions—published in leading journals including Science, Nature, Cell, Molecular Cell, Nature Nanotechnology and Nature Methods—have established single-molecule fluorescence as a central tool for RNA biology.
A committed institutional builder, Walter founded the SMART Center (NSF MRI support) and co-founded the Center for RNA Biomedicine, initiatives that have expanded campus capabilities in RNA therapeutics and advanced microscopy and achieved a national profile. He also served as Faculty Director of the Biomedical Microscopy Core and as Associate Director of the University of Michigan PREP postbac program, and he has a long record of mentoring successful graduate students and postdocs. Walter’s honors include the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, the RNA Society Mid-Career Award, election as an AAAS Fellow, and institutional awards for mentoring and service. He has received sustained federal support (including an NIH R35 MIRA) and is author of more than 230 peer-reviewed publications (h-index ≈ 69), reflecting a sustained impact on RNA biophysics, translational RNA science, and microscopy.
T.C. Jenkins Professor of Biophysics
Johns Hopkins University
Biography
Sarah Woodson is the T.C. Jenkins Professor of Biophysics at Johns Hopkins University. She received her PhD in Biophysical Chemistry in 1987 with Donald Crothers at Yale University, and did postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Thomas Cech at the University of Colorado Boulder from 1987-1990. Her research group studies how RNA molecules fold into specific three-dimensional structures, and how the RNA and proteins components of cellular complexes such as the ribosome come together. In addition to biophysical methods such as X-ray scattering and single-molecule fluorescence, her group has pioneered the application of X-ray hydroxyl radical footprinting to RNA. Dr. Woodson received a Pew Scholar Award in the Biomedical Sciences in 1993, a Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award in 1995, was elected an AAAS Fellow in 2010 and the President of the RNA Society (2016-2017).
Symposium and Gala Dinner Registration Fees
Symposium Registration Fees*
*All registration fees include the Networking Dinner
| Registration type | Early bird (Oct-Jan 19 ) | Regular (Beginning Jan 20) |
| U-M student/postdoc | $45 | $50 |
| Non U-M student/postdoc | $80 | $92 |
| U-M academic/nonprofit | $100 | $112 |
| Non U-M academic/nonprofit | $160 | $184 |
| Industry/corporate | $350 | $400 |
Networking Dinner
The Networking Dinner is now included in the Registration Fee. No separate registration is needed. All registrants will be automatically signed up for the dinner.
All attendees are invited to join us for a Networking Dinner on the first evening of the Symposium, Friday, March 6, from 5 PM – 8 PM in the Palmer Commons Great Lakes Room
The dinner provides an opportunity for attendees to mingle with speakers, presenters, and fellow attendees in a relaxed and enjoyable setting. Enjoy a memorable evening of connections and inspiration!
Accommodations Information
Room blocks have been reserved at the following local hotels. Please book directly via the links below to make your reservation.
Note: Daily shuttle service may be arranged by guests directly with the hotels located outside of walking distance from the event venue.
Hampton Inn South
Hampton Inn – South
Hampton Inn South Website
925 Victors Way, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108
734.665.5000
Click the link above to book directly into the Symposium room block.
The Kensington Hotel
The Kensington Hotel
Kensington Website
3500 South State Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108
866.446.1329
Click the link above to book directly into the Symposium room block.
The Bell Tower
The Bell Tower
Bell Tower Website
300 S Thayer St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(800) 562-3559
Click the link above to book directly into the Symposium room block.
Inn at Michigan League
Inn at the Michigan League
Inn at the League Website
911 North University Ave., Ann Arbor, MIchigan 48109
734.764.3177
Call to reserve using booking block code RNA26
Sponsorship Information
Celebrate a Decade of RNA Innovation!
Join us as a sponsor of the 10th Annual RNA Symposium — a landmark event hosted by the Center for RNA Biomedicine. Gain unparalleled exposure to a dynamic community of trailblazers in RNA science and medicine. Connect and collaborate with leaders in the field, and play an essential role in advancing the next wave of biomedical breakthroughs.
It’s the beginning of an exciting new era in RNA research!
Questions? Contact RNA Center Manager, Paul Avedisian at paulave@umich.edu
Abstract Submission Information
Interested in presenting your work at the Symposium?
Abstract submission deadline is January 19, 2026, 11:59 PM EST
We’re currently accepting abstract submissions to be included in the event programming.
Click the link below for more information and to submit your abstract today!
All submissions will be considered for entry into the poster session as well as the opportunity to present on stage. Please indicate in the form below your desire to give a presentation in addition to participation in the poster session. Poster and presentation slots are limited.
A professional panel will review all submissions and select participants based on abstract submission. The panel will be rating each submission based on topic relevance, scientific rigor, and research significance. Please complete the form below to submit your information and abstract.
Submit your abstract by clicking the button below!
Photo: Scott C. Soderberg, Michigan Photography
Friday, March 6
Breakfast served beginning at 8:00 AM
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Conference programming
12:00 – 1:30 PM Lunch // midday break
1:30 – 3:00 PM Conference programming
3:00 – 4:00 PM Patient advocacy panel
4:00 – 5:00 PM Conference programming
5:00 – 8:00 PM Networking dinner
Saturday, March 7
Breakfast served beginning at 8:00 AM
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Conference programming
12:00 – 1:30 PM Lunch // midday break
1:30 – 4:00 PM Conference programming
4:00 – 5:00 PM Speaker panel discussion // closing
5:00 – 8:00 PM Poster session
Schedule subject to change. More details coming soon!
Click the button below to view a detailed program of the 10th Annual RNA Symposium:
RNA Frontiers: From Mechanisms to Medicine on our Symposium Hub
(Coming Soon!)
Early bird registration is now open!
*PLEASE NOTE: You will be notified that you must have an Iris account in order to register.
- Visit the Registration Page in the link at the button above
- On the sign-in screen, sign in with your Iris account credentials or select “Don’t have an account, Sign Up”
- Follow the instructions to create your account and register for the Symposium
- Creating your account will allow you to log back in to edit your registration responses
- If you experience an issue registering, please clear your cookies and cache (HERE’S HOW) and try to register again. If you are still experiencing an issue, please reach out to Paul Avedisian at paulave@umich.edu.