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Montreal, September 24, 2025 鈥� Moderna, in partnership with RNA Canada, has awarded three prizes this year to RNA researchers in Canada for their outstanding contribution to the field. D2R is proud to announce that Professor has received the Discovery of the Year Award for her seminal 2024 publication in Nature Communications (Alecki et al.,). This award recognizes groundbreaking RNA discoveries made by Canadian researchers (either as a group or individually) during the past year.

鈥淲e are thrilled to see Professor Vera Ugalde鈥檚 work receive the recognition it deserves 鈥� said D2R鈥檚 Chief Scientific Officer, Philippe 鈥淗er tenacity and dedication to RNA exemplify the spirit of discovery that this award was created to celebrate.鈥�

This recognition marks an exciting breakthrough in RNA research, celebrating the work of Professor Maria Vera Ugalde鈥檚 team, who discovered a new way brain cells protect themselves under stress. When neurons are overwhelmed by damaged proteins鈥攁 condition known as proteotoxic stress鈥攖hey respond by moving specific RNA molecules to vulnerable areas and producing protective proteins right where they鈥檙e needed. This process, called RNA localization and local translation, helps maintain cell health and function. Importantly, the team, in collaboration with Professor Heather Durham at the Neuro and Gene Yeo at UCSD, found that this protective mechanism is disrupted in neurodegenerative diseases like Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), where mutations interfere with how RNA is handled inside neurons. These findings reveal a new molecular link between faulty RNA behavior and neurodegeneration, opening the door to potential RNA-based therapies that could help preserve brain function in conditions like ALS.听听

(Photo of the team at Vera Ugalde lab)

鈥淭he work Professor Vera Ugalde is leading is exactly the kind of boundary-pushing RNA science that fuels the D2R initiative鈥� said Janet Prince, D2R鈥檚 Associate Director of Business Development and Innovation 鈥淗er research not only strengthens our scientific community but also opens new opportunities for industry collaboration. We are incredibly fortunate to get to work with Professor Vera Ugalde.鈥�

Professor Vera Ugalde earned her PhD under the direction of Dr. Puri Fortes from the University of Navarra in Spain and completed her postdoctoral training in New York City with Evgeny Nudler at NYU Medical Center, where she became interested in the regulation of the stress response. She then moved to the laboratory of Robert Singer at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where she developed single-cell and single-molecule fluorescence microscopy approaches to resolving the stress response. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at 91直播 and serves as a member of D2R's Research Steering Committee. Professor Vera Ugalde is also a co-Investigator on a D2R funded foundational project that aims to examine how individual proteins involved in translation interact with the mRNA cap in real-time inside cells to improve the design and effectiveness of future mRNA vaccines.

鈥淚 am deeply honored and grateful to Moderna and RNA Canada ARN for this award and for supporting the RNA community. Moderna鈥檚 commitment helps bridge fundamental RNA research with real advances in human health.鈥澨�said Professor Vera Ugalde. 鈥淭his recognition reflects the hard work of my team, and I am excited about the future of RNA research in Canada and beyond.鈥�