On March 12, 2021, special guest speaker Dr. Katalin Karikó, senior vice president at BioNTech RNA Pharmaceuticals, and a pioneer in RNA-mediated immune activation gave a presentation about the history of the development of an mRNA delivery platform for therapeutic applications. The mRNA approach received global attention in 2020 as it was used in the first two vaccines to receive emergency use authorization for COVID-19 in the United States.
Dr. Karikó spoke about the history of the development, starting in 1960s and how scientists, including herself, overcame obstacles along the path. Karikó also noted the tremendous potential of the platform moving forward.
The event was part of the UC Davis Lung Center Seminar Series and Distinguished Speaker Series in Research and Innovation cohosted by the UC Davis School of Medicine and Office of Research.
You can view a recording of the event below.
