Melissa J. Moore, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, mRNA Research Platform At Moderna, Elected To National Academy of Sciences

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Moderna Therapeutics, a clinical stage biotechnology company that is pioneering messenger RNA (mRNA) Therapeutics™ to create a new generation of transformative medicines for patients, today announced that Melissa J. Moore, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Moderna’s mRNA research platform, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). Dr. Moore is among 84 new members and 21 foreign associates elected to the NAS yesterday in recognition of their distinguished and continued achievements in original research.

“I’m incredibly honored and humbled to have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences. I truly believe there has been no better, more exciting time to be a scientist than today,” said Dr. Moore. “Scientific research is all about collaboration. I’ve been fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from and work side by side with inspiring mentors and colleagues throughout my career, most recently at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and currently at Moderna Therapeutics. I look forward to contributing to the mission of the NAS, and working with my fellow NAS members and associates as we consider complex problems facing our country and the world today and contemplate how science and technology can help advance thoughtful public policy decisions.”

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, non-profit society of distinguished scholars. Established in 1863, the NAS provides independent and objective advice to the United States government and other organizations on matters related to science and technology. Election to membership in the NAS is widely considered one of the highest honors a scientist can receive. The NAS membership totals approximately 2,250 members and nearly 440 foreign associates, of whom approximately 200 have received Nobel prizes.

“Melissa is a remarkable scientist and a wonderful leader,” said Stéphane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna. “Her curiosity and passion to always ask ‘why’, her ability to bring individuals and teams together to tackle challenges and arrive at creative solutions, and her attention to detail and high bar for excellence, already have had a significant impact across our organization and on the science that we do at Moderna. We are thrilled for her for achieving this amazing, well-deserved recognition as a newly elected member of the National Academy of Sciences.”

Dr. Moore was appointed Chief Scientific Officer of Moderna’s mRNA research platform in September 2016 after serving as a member of the company’s Scientific Advisory Board. Before joining Moderna, she served as Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Pharmacology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) and Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). She also was a founding Co-Director of the RNA Therapeutics Institute (RTI) at UMMS. Her research at UMMS and HHMI encompassed an array of topics related to the role of RNA and RNA-protein (RNP) complexes in gene expression.

About Moderna Therapeutics

Moderna is a clinical stage pioneer of messenger RNA (mRNA) Therapeutics™, an entirely new drug technology that directs the body’s cells to produce intracellular or secreted proteins. With its breakthrough platform, Moderna is developing mRNA vaccines and therapeutics as a new class of medicines for a wide range of diseases and conditions, in many cases by addressing currently undruggable targets. Moderna is developing its innovative mRNA medicines for infectious diseases, cancer (immuno-oncology), rare diseases, cardiovascular disease and pulmonary disease, through proprietary development and collaborations with strategic partners.

Headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., privately held Moderna currently has strategic agreements with AstraZeneca, Merck, Alexion Pharmaceuticals and Vertex Pharmaceuticals, as well as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Defense; the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a division of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. To learn more, visit www.modernatx.com.