I Never Knew I’d Help Save Lives: An mRNA Biologist’s Journey
Medicine & Public Health
•
1h 0m
Today, Jeff Coller, PhD, studies the building blocks of life. As a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of RNA Biology and Therapeutics and a Scientific Co-Founder at Tevard Biosciences, his work focuses on messenger RNA, a molecule that transmits information from DNA to other parts of the cell. With applications in areas such as gene therapy and vaccine development - the Moderna vaccine, for example, is an mRNA vaccine - this increasingly important field is not only changing the way we approach many healthcare issues, it’s helping to save lives.
But Professor Coller didn’t always know that’s what he wanted to do. In fact, he started undergraduate studies unsure of what he wanted to pursue at all. So how did he get to where he is today? And how did he know that he, too, could be a scientist? In this presentation, Professor Coller will talk about the work he does and explain some of his own professional journey – from growing up in Flint, Michigan to the undergraduate course on genetics that got him hooked in the first place to working at Hopkins today.
Join us to learn about messenger RNA, what it’s like to be a scientist, and how anyone can play a part in changing people’s lives.
Up Next in Medicine & Public Health
-
The (Un)known-(Un)knowns of COVID-19 ...
COVID-19 spread across the world with a speed and intensity that laid bare the limits of our understanding of the transmission pathways of such respiratory diseases. After much confusion and misinformation, there emerged a consensus that airborne transmission from very small respiratory droplets ...
-
Robots Doing Surgeries or Computers G...
There are several advances in the non-operative and operative care of patients with hip and knee problems. Technical and technological innovations have provided a cutting-edge to patients and providers alike. Savyasachi “Savya” Thakkar, M.D., Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, leads a di...
-
Wondrous Wine and Magical Mead in Ren...
In vino veritas! As the ancient Roman encyclopedist Pliny the Elder (1st c., c.e.) famously put it, the fermented grape possesses the power to elucidate truth and to foment joy and laughter. Join Dr. Susan Weiss (Associate Professor of Musicology, JHU) and Dr. April Oettinger (Professor of Art Hi...