SOCIETY FOR BRAIN MAPPING AND THERAPEUTICS

SOCIETY FOR BRAIN MAPPING AND THERAPEUTICS

BREAKING BOUNDARIES OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, MEDICINE, ART & HEALTHCARE POLICY

Search
Close this search box.

Katalin Karikó

Katalin Karikó (HungarianKarikó Katalinpronounced [ˈkɒrikoː ˌkɒtɒlin]; born 17 January 1955) is a Hungarian-American biochemist who specializes in RNA-mediated mechanisms. Her research has been the development of in vitrotranscribed mRNA for protein therapies. She co-founded and was CEO of RNARx, from 2006 to 2013.[1] Since 2013, she has been associated with BioNTech RNA Pharmaceuticals, first as a vice president and promoted to senior vice president in 2019.[2] She also is an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania.[1]

Karikó’s work includes the scientific research of RNA-mediated immune activation, resulting in the co-discovery with American immunologist Drew Weissman of the nucleoside modifications that suppress the immunogenicity of RNA.[3][4][5] This is seen as further contribution to the therapeutic use of mRNA.[6] Together with Weissman, she holds U.S. patents for the application of non-immunogenic, nucleoside-modified RNA. This technology has been licensed by BioNTech and Moderna to develop their protein replacement technologies but was also used for their COVID-19 vaccines.[7] Karikó and Weissman have received many awards, including the prestigious Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research AwardTime Magazine’s Hero of the Year 2021 and Tang Prize Award in Biopharmaceutical Science in 2022.

 

From Wikipedia

WBMF GFC Awards