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.