Awards

Congratulations to Our Science Communication Award Winners!

Anna Blakney, PhD, and Kristina Tatiossian, PhD are inaugural recipients - October 24, 2023

Anna Blakney, PhD, and Kristina Tatiossian, PhD, are the inaugural recipients of the award, which recognizes members who do an outstanding job of communicating their work in cell and gene therapy.

Anna-Blakney.pngAnna Blakney, PhD

Assistant Professor, University of British Columbia

Dr. Blakney's doctoral work focused on the development of multipurpose prevention drug delivery technologies for the prevention of HIV-1 and unintended pregnancy. During her postdoctoral fellowship at Imperial College London, she developed molecular and biomaterial engineering strategies for delivery of self-amplifying RNA under the supervision of Prof. Robin Shattock and Prof. Molly Stevens. In her lab, her team seeks to gain a deeper understanding of how the components of gene delivery formulations interact with the immune system in order to improve potency and enable clinical translation.

WATCH Dr. Blakney's Presentation, SciComm & the RNAissance

View on YouTube

Kristina Tatiossian, PhD

Marketing Partner, Andreessen Horowitz

Dr. Tatiossian has a special interest in making complex scientific concepts accessible to broad audiences through digital forms of art. Prior to joining a16z, Kris was the co-founder and CEO of CRISPR Classroom, an educational technology company dedicated to sharing the story of cell and gene therapy. Since its launch in January 2022, it has enrolled more than 5,000 students, educators, scientists, professionals, and enthusiasts from more than 50 countries. CRISPR Classroom, in partnership with Tennessee State University, also received funding from the National Science Foundation.

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