Grant: DRA : Canada Graduate Research Scholarship - Doctoral Program (CGRS D)

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the life-saving impact of RNA vaccines and showcased the strength of Canadian science and innovation. As the world now turns toward using RNA technologies to treat cancer, Canada has a unique opportunity to lead the next wave of innovation and ensure that these advances remain accessible, affordable, and developed at home for Canadians. My research focuses on self-amplifying RNA (saRNA), a next-generation RNA technology that can produce stronger and longer-lasting therapeutic effects than current mRNA vaccines, while requiring far smaller doses. This makes saRNA a highly promising platform for cancer therapies within Canada's publicly funded healthcare system, where cost-effectiveness and equitable access are essential. A key challenge is that cancer cells detect saRNA as "foreign" and activate a defence protein called PKR, which shuts down the treatment before it can work. My project aims to temporarily block this and other antiviral barriers so saRNA therapies can better target and eliminate cancer cells. I will test three possible solutions to combine with saRNA: 1) Small molecule chemotherapy drug (C16) that inhibits PKR and slows tumour growth 2) Built-in microRNA genetic "switch" that reduces PKR only where the therapy acts. 3) Built-in viral microRNA that are known to down regulate other antiviral pathways to increase saRNA efficacy. By improving how saRNA spreads inside tumours and stimulates anti-cancer immunity, this research could enable more effective and accessible RNA-based cancer treatments for Canadians. These advances can strengthen Canada's position as a global leader in RNA therapeutics. As a Canadian trainee, this project will equip me with cutting-edge RNA, cancer biology, and translational research expertise that I will reinvest into Canada's scientific and biomedical innovation ecosystem.