DOCTORS’ NOTES
RNA Research Takes Center Stage
$ 11 million federal award launches Brown-based center to support Rhode Island scientists. BY CORRIE PIKUL
PHOTOGRAPHY: NICK DENTAMARO
With support from the National Institutes of Health, a new Center of Biomedical Research Excellence( COBRE) at Brown will expand RNA research and provide key infrastructure to support a growing array of RNA scientists across Rhode Island.
Ribonucleic acid, or RNA, is found in the cells of all living organisms and is essential to biological function. While DNA stores genetic information, RNA brings that information to life by carrying instructions from DNA to build proteins, regulate genes, and perform other cellular functions. Scientists are realizing the massive potential of RNA for disease treatments and cures and other applications, but there is much yet to learn.
The COBRE Center for RNA Biology in Health and Disease— backed by a five-year, $ 11.1 million NIH grant— will support a new cohort of early-career researchers, the purchase of advanced
research technology and equipment, and the administrative structure for a research facility based at Brown’ s Giuliani RNA Center.
“ The motivation for this effort is the promise that new developments in RNA biology will drive a better understanding and treatment of human disease,” says William Fairbrother, PhD, a professor of biology at Brown who will lead the new center.“ The COVID-19 global pandemic illustrated the importance of understanding RNA viruses and the power of nanoparticle RNA delivery. In addition, advances in structural mapping of RNAs and a new appreciation of the promise of modified RNAs are already driving new models for gene expression and human disease.”
With the goal of creating a critical mass of RNA biologists, the federal grant will support the research of five early-career scientists. The grant will also increase the ability of these researchers and others to incorporate cutting-edge RNA techniques into their work and educate the larger scientific community in Rhode Island. Plus, it will create opportunities for physician-scientists from Brown’ s affiliated hospitals and the broader Rhode Island scientific community to conduct RNA research. These resources are a vital next step toward making Brown and Rhode Island a global hub for RNA research, Fairbrother says.
“ New developments in RNA biology will drive a better understanding and treatment of human disease.”
6 HEALTH DISCOVERIES @ BROWN l SPRING 2026