Circurna co-founder Mariano Garcia-Blanco elected to lead RNA Society

Circurna said co-founder and board member Dr. Mariano A. Garcia-Blanco has been elected president of the RNA Society, with his term beginning in 2027 after a President-Elect period starting July 1, 2026. The move spotlights one of the company’s founders as RNA science moves closer to therapeutic use.

Why it matters: - Dr. Mariano A. Garcia-Blanco’s election puts a Circurna co-founder at the helm of the leading international organization focused on RNA research. - The role signals continued momentum for RNA science as the field moves from basic research toward therapies and other real-world applications. - Circurna is building circular RNA medicines, so Garcia-Blanco’s leadership adds outside recognition to the company’s scientific profile.

What happened: - Circurna announced that co-founder and board member Dr. Mariano A. Garcia-Blanco has been elected President of the RNA Society. - The RNA Society said Garcia-Blanco will serve as President-Elect starting July 1, 2026. - He will serve as President from January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2028. - The RNA Society announced the election results on June 5, 2026, after its annual member vote.

The details: - Garcia-Blanco is the F. Palmer Weber Medical Research Professor and Chair of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. - His career spans more than three decades in RNA biology, virology and RNA-driven disease research. - He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Association of American Physicians. - Garcia-Blanco has co-founded multiple biotechnology companies, including Circurna, which focuses on next-generation RNA-based medicines. - He launched his independent scientific career in 1990 as an assistant professor at Duke University. - At Duke, he held the Charles D. Watts Professorship of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology. - He founded the Duke Center for RNA Biology. - He helped establish the Emerging Infectious Diseases Research Program at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore. - He later served as Vacek Distinguished Professor and Chair of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Texas Medical Branch before joining the University of Virginia in 2023. - Garcia-Blanco has authored more than 200 publications. - He has received continuous NIH funding since 1991. - He has mentored dozens of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, many of whom now lead research programs in the United States and internationally. - His honors include election to the Association of American Physicians in 2011, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2022 and the National Academy of Sciences in 2025. - He is also a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Microbiology.

Between the lines: - Garcia-Blanco’s election reflects how RNA research has built a broad scientific base across academia and biotechnology. - Circurna is tying its message to a founder with deep credibility in RNA biology, which can help reinforce investor and scientific confidence. - The RNA Society leadership role also suggests continued emphasis on collaboration across basic science and therapeutic development.

What’s next: - Garcia-Blanco begins his President-Elect term on July 1, 2026. - He assumes the presidency on January 1, 2027, and serves through December 31, 2028. - Circurna said Garcia-Blanco will continue supporting the company’s mission to advance the next generation of RNA therapeutics.

The bottom line: - Garcia-Blanco’s election is both a personal honor and a signal that RNA science continues to gain status as a platform for new medicines.

More information: Circurna