Engineering saRNA Delivery Systems for Therapeutics

webinar recording 12 PM EDT | October 20, 2026

RNA medicines have rapidly transformed the landscape of disease prevention and treatment, with mRNA vaccines demonstrating the remarkable potential of RNA-based technologies. However, important challenges remain in improving the potency, durability, safety, and accessibility of RNA therapeutics. Developing delivery systems capable of achieving robust therapeutic effects at lower doses will be critical to unlocking the next generation of RNA medicines.

We are pleased to invite Anna Blakney, PhD, Assistant Professor at the Michael Smith Laboratories and School of Biomedical Engineering at the University of British Columbia, to share her research on engineering self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) technologies and advanced delivery systems for therapeutic applications.

In this webinar, Dr. Blakney will discuss the development of next-generation saRNA platforms designed to generate prolonged therapeutic effects while requiring substantially lower doses than conventional RNA approaches. She will explore how engineering RNA constructs and optimizing nanoparticle delivery systems can enhance RNA expression, improve therapeutic performance, and enable new applications across infectious diseases, cancer, and genetic disorders.

Key points to be discussed during the session:

How self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) technologies can achieve potent and durable therapeutic effects at significantly lower doses
How molecular engineering strategies can be used to optimize saRNA design and performance
How nanoparticle delivery systems can be engineered to improve the efficiency, safety, and effectiveness of saRNA therapeutics
The potential of next-generation saRNA platforms for vaccines and therapies targeting infectious diseases, cancer, and genetic disorders

Speaker

Anna Blakney, PhD
Assistant Professor
Michael Smith Laboratories
School of Biomedical Engineering
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, BC, Canada

Dr. Anna Blakney is an Associate 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 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, the 2021 American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy Award Science Communication Award and the 2022 Controlled Release Society Gene Delivery and Editing Focus Group Young Investigator Award.

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