Mariano Garcia-Blanco, MD, PhD, has been elected the next president of the RNA Society, an international society dedicated to fostering research and education in the field of RNA science. Dr. Garcia-Blanco will serve as president from January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2028.
The RNA Society was established in 1993 to facilitate the innovation, discovery, and dissemination of knowledge about ribonucleic acid. It supports a scientific ecosystem that represents molecular, evolutionary and structural biology, biochemistry, biomedical sciences, chemistry, genetics, and virology related to the structure and function of RNA — one of three major biological macromolecules essential for life (along with DNA and proteins).
“It is an honor to serve a scientific community that has given me so much” said Garcia-Blanco, “particularly at a time when RNA vaccines and therapeutics are changing medicine.”
Dr. Garcia-Blanco joined the UVA School of Medicine in 2023 as the F. Palmer Weber Medical Research Professor and chair of the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology. He is a renowned expert in virology and RNA biology and its impact on immunity to diseases. His groundbreaking research includes a discovery identifying key factors that determine a person’s risk for developing multiple sclerosis and findings about how viral RNAs in mosquito saliva affect the transmission of the deadly dengue viruses.
Originally posted in Medicine in Motions News June 16, 2026 by jta6n@virginia.edu