Anna Blakney
Title: Assistant Professor
Department and Affiliations:
Michael Smith Laboratories
School of Biomedical Engineering
Location: UBC Vancouver Campus
Tell us about your research and what makes you passionate about it.
My lab is a group of bioengineers, immunologists and molecular biologists that study the interactions between RNA, biomaterials and the immune system so that we can harness this knowledge and develop next-generation RNA vaccines and therapies. It’s been a really exciting time to be in the field of RNA biotechnology over the past few years, given the success of the mRNA vaccines and siRNA therapies, and we’re excited about other applications of RNA that can have a positive impact on human health.
Is there a translational aspect of your research that you are most excited about?
Many aspects of our research are clinically translational, but one of the projects that we are making exciting progress on is using RNA to encode monoclonal antibodies. Antibodies are great drugs, but depending on the format can be expensive and/or difficult to develop and manufacture. With our approach, the patient’s own cells would produce the antibodies, thus avoiding manufacturing challenges and the cost would be similar to the available RNA drugs. We anticipate that this would make antibody therapies more equitable and accessible for people around the world.
Are there any initiatives you would like to see at UBC to accelerate translational medicine in your area of research?
There are many aspects of RNA medicines, including fundamental and mechanistic research, drug delivery (like the lipid nanoparticle technology developed by Pieter Cullis) and a wide variety of applications. I would love to see more researchers in these areas, and for UBC to build upon our foundation and be a world leading hub for RNA therapeutics.
You are part of the Academy of Translational Medicine Early Career Researcher cohort at UBC. What is the most important aspect of that community for you?
It’s great to learn about the research that other ECRs in the UBC community are doing outside of my own department, especially for translational research.
Is there a resource that you found impactful and would recommend to others interested in translational medicine?
We’ve found it really helpful to stay connected to industry, as they are some of the main drivers of translational research for RNA therapeutics. They often organize webinars and workshops that my students have found really helpful to stay up to date on progress in the field.
How do you like to recharge outside of work?
I enjoy doing anything outside (hiking, skiing, tennis, mountain biking) and I walk around the Pacific Spirit Park almost every day. I find it very calming to be surrounded by tress and nature.