Vi:

I come from a long line of academics – mostly astrophysicists – but it was biology that pulled me in. At school I was curious, and it was the unknown in biology that excited me. Unlike physics or maths, there weren’t always neat answers. That sense of discovery lit something in me.

When I was 18, my mother passed away from breast cancer. It fundamentally changed how I saw science. I wasn’t just interested in understanding biology for the sake of it – I was determined to find new ways to treat disease.

Our lab studies RNA – a DNA-like molecule that helps carry the instructions that cells need to work properly. Over the years, we’ve made some exciting discoveries in RNA biology that have ultimately led to a spin-out company, exteRNA. But partnering with Moderna has taken things to another level.

I was first introduced to Kate in 2022 through a mutual contact – I think it was a 7am Zoom call – and from the first conversation, we clicked. Moderna couldn’t invest in exteRNA, but Kate was deeply interested in our science. More than that, she saw value in it when others didn’t. For me, that was a turning point.

In 2023, I was awarded the inaugural Moderna Australia Fellowship, which recognised my lab’s research as world leading and gave us the means to build deeper ties.

The collaboration matured into the MATE platform – a pioneering program that gives WEHI researchers access to Moderna’s best-in-class technology for developing mRNA medicines that harness the immune system to fight disease. MATE is not just
about sharing tools – it’s about sharing trust, expertise and vision to transform and accelerate my team’s best ideas into viable preclinical mRNA drug candidates.

This partnership has opened doors not just for my lab, but for dozens of researchers across WEHI. It’s created a true hub for mRNA research in Australia. Suddenly, we’re not struggling to pave the road ahead – we’re flying, with a Formula One team at our side.

Kate has been a champion for elevating the profile and importance of RNA research in Australia. We initially bonded over this, and the mutual respect, understanding and drive that followed has fortified the momentum of the partnership.

Being brighter together means recognising that science is borderless. You don’t have to be in Boston or Cambridge to do world-class work. When people believe in your ideas and back them with the resources to bring them to life – that’s when real breakthroughs happen.

Kate:

When I was 14, netball and the Smashing Pumpkins eclipsed any thought of science. I had little idea of what a career in science was or could be. But Melbourne University – and then a PhD at the Garvan Institute – hooked me on immunology.

Immunology offered this beautiful intersection of fundamental biology and human health – a playground for scientific discovery with real-world outcomes. Every aspect of human health or disease is touched by the immune system. Today, immunology-based medicines are treating not just infectious and inflammatory diseases but have transformed cancer, cardiovascular and neurological treatments.

I’ve always been driven by the question: how can we turn brilliant science into impact for patients? After Rockefeller University and then running a lab at Massachusetts General Hospital/ Harvard for 10 years, that question is what brought me to Moderna to lead drug discovery. mRNA as a modality will redefine medicine. Moreover, Moderna has been at this for 15 years – it is one of few companies to make mRNA-based medicines safely, at scale and ready for clinical use.

When I first spoke with Vi, it was clear that he was one of those experts we wanted to work with. I was also struck by his enthusiasm for RNA and open-mindedness. He’s deeply rooted in fundamental science, but passionate yet practical about new ideas – especially when it comes to turning them into therapies. That’s rare. We quickly found ourselves speaking the same language.

Moderna’s approach is unusually open. We want to empower brilliant people around the world to find the limits of what mRNA can do – not just for vaccines, but for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, rare diseases, oncology and beyond.

Right now, we’re exploring autoimmune diseases that have high unmet needs – like the autoinflammatory disease VEXAS syndrome, lupus, primary biliary cholangitis and scleroderma. VEXAS was only discovered in 2020. It is on the rise and has
an extraordinarily urgent need with 50% of patients dying within five years.

To me, being brighter together is about sharing diverse expertise, perspective and capabilities, and a shared commitment to delivering better health outcomes for people everywhere.

When you connect the right people, with the right tools and a shared vision – that’s when things move forward. That’s what this partnership is about.