At the DNA to RNA Initiative (D2R), training is not just a complement to research, it’s a defining feature of the program. As momentum from the COVID-19 pandemic continues to bring RNA-based therapeutics to the forefront of medicine, D2R is investing in the future: the next generation of researchers. D2R’s training program is designed to prepare graduate students and postdoctoral researchers for the realities of the interdisciplinary modern science landscape.
Training that integrates, collaborates, and delivers real‑world impact.
The D2R Training Program was developed with a clear purpose: to enhance the training students already receive through their academic programs.
“The main priority of the program is to ensure that all offerings are specific and D2R-focused,” explains D2R’s Training Program Officer, Anthony Van Kessel. “We are building a program designed to complement what participants receive through their research training, coursework, and from other available training providers.”
This complementary approach allows the program to focus on what’s often missing from traditional graduate training: exposure to the full research pipeline, from discovery to application.
“The program is designed to offer leading-edge, D2R-specific interdisciplinary training through workshops and opportunities spanning RNA therapeutics, genomic medicine, data science, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), commercialization, and careers beyond academia,” adds Professor Amélie Quesnel-Vallée, D2R’s Associate Scientific Director and Chair of D2R’s Student Training and Knowledge Development Committee. “We want trainees to graduate from D2R not just as skilled scientists, but as well-rounded researchers who understand the full ecosystem in which their work will have impact.”
At the heart of the program is a three-part framework: Build a Base, Broaden Your Vision, Discover Your Path. These pillars reflect three core goals: helping trainees grow as researchers, become active members of a collaborative scientific community, and develop the skills needed for long-term career success. Rather than treating these as separate priorities, D2R prioritizes integrating all three pillars into a unified training experience. “Each pillar is distinct, but they reinforce each other, and that intentional design was central from the outset,” says Prof. Quesnel-Vallée.
The D2R Initiative is an interdisciplinary research program grounded in six foundational axes. Because it spans multiple research disciplines, its training program must also adopt an interdisciplinary and highly contextual approach.
“The most important problems we're trying to solve, e.g. developing RNA therapies that work across diverse populations or ensuring those therapies reach medically underserved groups, cannot be solved from within a single discipline,” emphasizes Prof. Quesnel-Vallée.“Trainees who come up in a genuinely interdisciplinary environment develop a different kind of scientific literacy. They learn to communicate across methodological traditions, to collaborate rather than just coordinate, and to see their own work in a broader translational context. That intellectual flexibility is increasingly what the field demands, and we think it's one of the most valuable things D2R training can give an emerging researcher.”
From an EDI workshop exploring how inclusion shapes research design in genomics and RNA therapeutics to a Data Science training session that brings together researchers from human genetics, ethics, and biostatistics to demonstrate how computational tools are applied across disciplines, the program offers a diverse and continually evolving suite of learning opportunities. One‑off workshops and strategic partnerships further expose trainees to emerging topics and technologies. Drawing directly on the expertise of active investigators developing next‑generation RNA therapeutics, the training program ensures that participants learn firsthand from leading‑edge researchers.
The result is trainees who are technically strong, interdisciplinary in their thinking, and equipped to collaborate, adapt, and translate their research into real-world, equitable impact.
A Community That Expands Research Horizons
For the D2R trainees, one of the most valuable aspects of D2R is the opportunity to learn and work in the uniquely interdisciplinary community.
“D2R offers opportunities to interact with experts from different fields and learn about both fundamental science and translational applications. The training events and community make it easier to see how your research fits into the broader RNA ecosystem,” shares D2R Doctoral Scholar Yijie Zhang, from the lab of Professor Mathieu Blanchette.
Just as the D2R Initiative fosters collaboration amongst its Principal Investigators from 91şÚÁĎÍř, to UniversitĂ© de Sherbrooke to uOttawa to UBC, that same dynamic is reflected among D2R trainees across the country. The approach can spark new research ideas and connect researchers who might otherwise never meet.
For Yijie, this is why he was drawn to the program. “I applied to the D2R Scholar Award because my research focuses on AI-driven RNA design, and the D2R program provides a unique interdisciplinary environment that connects RNA biology and computational methods,” he explains. “I also felt that D2R would be an ideal community to broaden the impact of my work.” That sense of connection is reinforced through events that go beyond traditional academic training.
The Path Into the Future of RNA Research
For students considering joining D2R, those leading the Training Program emphasize the value of getting involved in a meaningful way.
“Come ready to step outside your comfort zone: disciplinarily, professionally, and intellectually. D2R is not a traditional single-PI training experience; it's a community, and you get out of it what you invest in it,” shares Prof. Quesnel-Vallée. “Take the workshops seriously, even the ones that seem peripheral to your thesis: the sessions on commercialization, science communication, or career pathways beyond academia may end up being the ones that shape your trajectory most. And engage with the breadth of what D2R is trying to do: understanding the full arc from genomic discovery to clinical application to equitable deployment is what will make you not just a good RNA researcher, but a scientist who can contribute to meaningful change.”
“If you are interested in the D2R Training Program and are already working on a D2R-aligned project, there are plenty of ways to connect with us and learn about upcoming events!” says Anthony Van Kessel. “You can subscribe to the D2R Training Updates newsletter, connect with us on , and check out the D2R website for funding opportunities and events. If you are a student who wants to join the Initiative and our efforts to develop the next generation of genomic-based RNA therapeutics, reach out to the D2R-funded researcher whose work most interests you.”
As RNA research continues to evolve, programs like D2R are helping define what the next generation of scientific training should look like. By combining cutting-edge science with interdisciplinary training and a strong sense of community, D2R is not just preparing trainees for the future—it’s helping them shape it.
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