The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) has launched an mRNA Research Initiative to advance the development of veterinary mRNA-based vaccines and therapies. Led by Christopher Hunter, PhD, founding director of Penn Vet’s Institute for Infectious and Zoonotic Diseases (IIZD) and the Mindy Halikman Heyer Distinguished Professor of Pathobiology, the Initiative aims to leverage Penn Vet’s expertise along with funding from the Penn Institute for RNA Innovation, which is supported by 2023 Nobel Prize winner Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor of Vaccine Research in Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine.
Operating under Penn Vet’s Institute for Infectious and Zoonotic Diseases, the Initiative will focus on generating enduring T cell-mediated immunity in veterinary species and developing mRNA vaccines for diseases like avian influenza and viral swine infections. Additionally, the Initiative will fund multi-investigator research projects and host annual symposiums to advance mRNA science at Penn Vet. Read more here.