Announcing the 2025 RNA Canada ARN & Moderna Award Winners
RNA Canada ARN, in partnership with Moderna, is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2025 RNA Canada ARN Moderna Awards. Each awardee received a cash prize and a commemorative plaque that was presented at the Gala Awards dinner of the RNA Canada ARN: RiboClub conference (Sept. 20-24th, Cheribourg, QC).
RNA Canada ARN’s Moderna Discovery of the Year Award
The RNA Canada ARN Discovery of the Year Award recognizes groundbreaking RNA discoveries made by Canadian
researchers (either as a group or individually) during the past year.
The 2025 RNA Canada ARN’s Moderna Discovery of the Year Award winner is Dr. Maria Vera Ugalde
Dr. Maria Vera Ugalde earned her Ph.D. in Cell Biology from the University of Navarra, Spain, where she developed SV40-based gene therapy vectors to treat liver cirrhosis and colon cancer. As a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Evgeny Nudler at NYU, she investigated how cells survive adverse conditions by regulating heat shock proteins (eLife, 2014). She then joined Dr. Robert Singer’s lab, applying high-resolution microscopy to study the spatiotemporal regulation of the heat shock response and re-engineering the MS2 system to better track the life of individual mRNAs in living cells, overcoming limitations caused by mRNA decay (Nature Methods, 2018). In 2019, she established her lab at McGill University to study mRNA regulation of molecular chaperones and their links to neurodegenerative disease. Since then, her group has successfully published (NAR 2023, Nat Commun 2024), secured competitive funding, and developed collaborative research networks.
The discovery of the year award recognises her lab’s research published in Nature Communications, which uncovers a novel mechanism by which neurons respond to proteotoxic stress: by spatially redistributing and locally translating chaperone mRNAs within dendrites. Dr. Vera Ugalde’s team used advanced imaging and transcriptomics in mouse and human neurons to demonstrate that localized translation maintains proteostasis in vulnerable neuronal regions. They identified specific RNA-binding proteins as key regulators and demonstrated that mutations linked to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis impair this pathway. The work highlights RNA localization and local translation as essential for neuronal survival under stress, offering a new molecular link between disrupted RNA dynamics and neurodegeneration, as well as new possibilities for RNA-based therapeutics.
RNA Canada ARN’s Moderna Trainee of the Year Award
The RNA Canada ARN Trainee of the Year Award recognizes a trainee (undergraduate, graduate student, or
postdoctoral researcher) who, in the past year, has made significant contributions to RNA research with the potential
for future impact.
The 2025 RNA Canada ARN’s Moderna Trainee of the Year Award winner is Jack Li
Jack is a PhD student Molecular Genetics within the laboratories of Benjamin Blencowe and Mikko Taipale at the University of Toronto where he previously completed an honours B.Sc. in Molecular Genetics. His current research focuses on developing and applying Cas13-based tools to manipulate alternative splicing in human cells for the systematic investigation of alternative exon function and using pooled ORFeome induced proximity screens to find human effector proteins that increase prime editing efficiency.
The trainee of the year award recognises Jack’s PhD research for which he developed an innovative system using dCasRx fused to splicing factors to control alternative splicing in a guide RNA-directed manner. In a large-scale screen, he tested hundreds of CasRx fusion proteins and identified dCasRx-RBM25 as a highly effective tool for activating or repressing specific exons. This platform enables precise, combinatorial perturbation of alternative splicing events, opening the door to systematic functional studies of alternative exons. His work, published last year in Molecular Cell, has broad implications for understanding RNA regulation and holds significant promise for future biomedical research and therapeutic applications. Notably, this study was highlighted in a recent review article of outstanding interest as it demonstrates the design and application of the most successful RNA-targeting CRISPR- based artificial splicing factors to date.
RNA Canada ARN’s Moderna Volunteer of the Year Award
The RNA Canada Volunteer of the Year Award honours outstanding volunteer service within RNA Canada ARN,
promoting engagement and community development.
The 2025 RNA Canada ARN’s Moderna Volunteer of the Year Award winner is Laurence Faucher-Giguère
Laurence is a PhD student in the laboratories of Sherif Abou Elela and Michelle Scott at the Université de Sherbrooke. She completed an undergraduate degree in Biochemistry at Bishop’s University and began graduate studies in 2018 as a master’s student and fast-tracked into the PhD program in 2020. Her research focuses on understanding the role of H/ACA snoRNAs in high-grade ovarian cancer and how specific changes in rRNA pseudouridylation may influence translation dynamics and contribute to tumor progression.
The volunteer of the year award recognises Laurence’s exceptional volunteer service and leadership within the Canadian RNA community. Building on her experience with the RiboClub, Laurence co-organized the first RNA Canada meeting, where she led logistics, student engagement, and volunteer coordination with exceptional professionalism and dedication. Her effort ensured the success of key events, including the mentor-mentee lunch, flash talks, and student-led sessions. Beyond meetings, Laurence is a passionate advocate of RNA research, engaging in public outreach and winning multiple awards for science communication. She has also contributed to educational initiatives and co-organized events that bridge the gap between science and art. Laurence continued commitment has significantly strengthened the RNA community in Canada and contributed to highlighting the talent, excellence and passion of its trainees.
Our most heartfelt congratulations to the award winners.
The Awards Committee is Chaired by Dr. Martin Simard (CHU de Quebec-Universite Laval Research Centre). The award winner biographies were compiled by Dr. Ryan Hili (Outreach, York U.). Our thanks go to Moderna for their generous sponsorship and and to the members of the Awards Committee for adjudicating the awards: Gertraud Burger (U. de Montreal), Jocelyn Côté, (U. of Ottawa), Haissi Cui, (U of Toronto), Aref Talebi (York U.), Adrian Krainer (Cold Spring Harbour) & John Mattick, (U. of New South Wales)
