RNA Collaborative Seminar Series
2025-04-09 16:00 - 17:00 (America/Detroit) | Virtual
The next RNA Collaborative Seminar will be held virtually on Wednesday, April 9th at 4 pm ET (Eastern, US/Canada), hosted by the University of Rochester Center for RNA Biology & University of Michigan Center for RNA Biomedicine. Please see below for more details and the Zoom webinar registration link, and share widely with your communities and networks.
Wednesday, April 9th at 4 pm ET
Hosted by: University of Rochester Center for RNA Biology & University of Michigan Center for RNA Biomedicine
Zoom Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_QYg_EA_uSkK2CB987gltVA
“Discovery and Therapeutic Applications of RNA ‘Stitching’”
Doug Anderson, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute (CVRI)
Member, University of Rochester Center for RNA Biology: From Genome to Therapeutics
“High-Throughput Identification of Small Molecule Inhibitors Targeting OncoMiR-181a for Cancer Therapy”
Grace McIntyre, PhD Student
PhD Candidate, Department of Pathology, University of Michigan
“Real-time Monitoring of Ligand Recognition by a Riboswitch during Transcription”
Adrien Chauvier, PhD. Research Lab Specialist
Nils Walter Laboratory – Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan
RNA Center for Biomedicine
Moderators:
Eric J. Wagner, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics
Associate Director, Center for RNA Biology
Wilmot Cancer Institute
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
and
Nils G. Walter, Ph.D.
Director, Center for RNA Biomedicine; Francis S. Collins Collegiate Professor of Chemistry, Biophysics, and Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan
RNA Collaborative Seminars are sponsored by the RNA Society (@RNASociety)
For more information on the RNA CSS, please visit: https://www.rnasociety.org/rna-collaborative-seminar-series
RNA Collaborative YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7QawzQsUqhgIqjKGTny41A

RNA Innovation Seminar: Connie Wu, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor, Life Sciences Institute; Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan
2025-04-28 16:00 - 17:00 | BSRB – ABC Seminar rooms, 109 Zina Pitcher Pl, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States
“Programming and probing the body: from RNA therapeutics to single-molecule detection”
Connie Wu, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor,
Life Sciences Institute,
Assistant Professor,
Biomedical Engineering and Pharmaceutical Sciences,
University of Michigan, U-M Medical School
In-person: ABC Seminar Rooms, BSRB | Hybrid link
Abstract:
Our lab integrates biomolecular engineering and bioanalytical chemistry approaches to develop next-generation diagnostic and therapeutic platforms. I will first discuss our work in developing multifunctional RNA systems for cancer immunotherapy applications. Leveraging RNA as a programmable scaffold, we engineer RNA nanostructures to activate multiple innate immune pathways and present additional immunomodulators. In parallel, we develop ultrasensitive single-molecule detection platforms for diagnostic applications. While ultrasensitive digital ELISA methods have unlocked a broader spectrum of disease biomarkers, achieving attomolar (10 -18 M) detection limits, the simultaneous detection of many proteins and biomolecule types with high analytical sensitivities and throughput remains a critical challenge in biomarker signature discovery. Our ongoing efforts aim to expand the ultrasensitive single-molecule detection toolkit to enable accurate high-order multiplexing and multiparametric profiling of diverse biomarker types.
Bio:
Connie Wu obtained her B.S. in chemical engineering from Yale University, where she worked with Paul Van Tassel, Ph.D., in designing porous layer-by-layer polymer films for tissue engineering applications. She pursued her Ph.D. in chemical engineering at MIT in the lab of Paula Hammond, Ph.D., where she engineered a highly potent small interfering RNA (siRNA) nanoparticle delivery system via nucleic acid engineering and polymer chemistry approaches.
Following her graduate studies, Wu transitioned to the diagnostics field for her postdoctoral research in the lab of David Walt, Ph.D., at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Wyss Institute at Harvard University, where she pioneered ultrasensitive single-molecule detection methods that can measure attomolar protein concentrations with versatile multiplexing capabilities. In parallel, she developed ultrasensitive digital assays for detecting the long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1) retrotransposon-encoded protein ORF1p in blood as a highly specific multi-cancer biomarker.
Wu was the recipient of multiple fellowships during her graduate and postdoctoral training, including a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, MIT Presidential Fellowship and NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein F32 Postdoctoral Fellowship.
As part of the U-M Life Sciences Institute and the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan, Wu’s lab develops technologies for biomarker signature discovery and RNA therapeutic delivery, with applications across cancer and other diseases.
Links:
Connie Wu Lab – Life Sciences Institute
Biomedical Engineering
College of Pharmacy
University of Michigan Medical School

RNA Translated 2025 Feature Article

2026 Trainee RNA Seminar - Student-Postdoc Council
2026-04-20 16:00 - 17:00 | BSRB – ABC Seminar rooms, 109 Zina Pitcher Pl, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States
We’re excited to invite you to the next 2026 Trainee RNA Seminar on Monday, April 20 at 4:00 p.m. EDT.

This session will feature a chalk talk workshop presented by Dr. Rachel Niederer, Assistant Professor of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, Biological Chemistry Dept., Faculty Scholar, Center for RNA Biomedicine.
Dr. Niederer will present her chalk talk, discuss approaches to developing effective and engaging chalk talks, and conclude with time for audience questions.

Date. Time. Location.
Monday, April 20th at 4:00 PM
ABC Seminar Rooms at BSRB.
A Zoom option is also available. To join on Zoom, please visit this link: https://umich.zoom.us/j/92875982672
Trainees are especially encouraged to participate. We look forward to seeing you there!
CRB Student–Postdoc Council

Student-Postdoc Council Webinar with Eclipsebio
2026-04-27 16:00 - 17:00
The Center for RNA Biomedicine Student and Postdoc Council will be hosting a webinar featuring Dr. Wayne Doyle, Director, Platforms and Strategy, Eclipsebio.

Speaker: Wayne Doyle, Ph.D. Head of Scientific Platforms and Strategy

Title of the talk: “Sequencing-first solutions for RNA therapeutic development”

Time: Apr 27, 2026 04:00 PM Eastern Time
Join Zoom Meeting–
https://umich.zoom.us/j/93314315337
Meeting ID: 933 1431 5337

Abstract:

“Despite rapid advances in RNA medicine, many programs fail due to poorly suboptimal designs and quality issues that conventional assays fail to detect. Addressing these challenges requires both effective design algorithms and advanced analytics that provide mechanistic insight into RNA therapeutic activity and safety.

In this seminar, Dr. Wayne Doyle (Eclipsebio) will discuss how sequencing-based approaches reveal key insights for the development of siRNA and mRNA therapeutics. Key topics include multidimensional profiling of target RNAs, AI-powered drug design, and sequencing-based characterization of mRNA medicines.”

Join us!

Student-Postdoc Council
