Adam Volanakis, PhD
Principal Scientist @ ModeX Therapeutics Inc
About
I work at the intersection of nucleic acid engineering and non-viral delivery — building platforms for cell and gene therapies.My work centers on novel DNA and RNA modalities (ssDNA with viral mimicry properties, self-amplifying RNA, immune-evasive episomal constructs) and their delivery to therapeutically relevant cell types and tissues. I've pioneered engineered ssDNA platforms that mimic viral genome architecture — conferring immune evasion and significantly enhanced delivery efficiency — advancing them through proof-of-concept for genome editing and long-term expression in primary T cells.Across Moderna, ModeX Therapeutics, and Saliogen, I've built integrated discovery platforms spanning the full non-viral gene writing stack: LNP delivery systems, CRISPR, R2 retrotransposon, serine and tyrosine integrase-mediated insertion, and RNA-based platforms — with hands-on delivery experience across primary T cells for immuno-oncology, B cells, HSCs, hepatocytes, liver, and muscle cells.I'm Oxford-trained (PhD, MSc Molecular Biology & Biochemistry) and held an EMBO Long-Term Postdoctoral Fellowship at Harvard Medical School — one of fewer than 100 awarded globally per year.
United States
Cambridge
Research
CRO Management, Drug Discovery, IND-Enabling, Translational Research, Platform Development, Scientific leadership, HSC Biology, CAR-T, saRNA, Retrotransposon, siRNA, mRNA, DNA vector development, Molecular biology of Nucleic acids, Due Diligence, Biomedical Research, Operational Excellence, Analytical Skills, Ex Vivo, Organization Skills
Experience
Principal Scientist
ModeX Therapeutics Inc
Massachusetts, United States
• Advancing engineered DNA and RNA delivery platform for CAR-T and cell therapeutic applications • Designed scalable cellular discovery platforms linking RNA and DNA engineering and delivery efficiency to CAR expression, immunological pharmacology, and anti-tumor activity across co-culture and in vivo models • Mentor and lead team of scientists across biology, analytics, and external CRO partnerships; coordinate interdisciplinary initiatives bridging delivery biology, molecular engineering, and immunology.
Principal Scientist
Moderna
Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
• Principal Scientist at Moderna Genomics: Lead the Transgene delivery team, focusing on development of viral mimicry systems in mammalian cells. Directed nucleic acid based genome editing discovery studies for HSPC and liver indications, enhancing our understanding and implementation of RNA-based therapeutic systems. • Key Projects: Spearheaded projects involving gene delivery therapeutics and repurposing of viral proteins, contributing to significant advancements in nucleic acid-based genomic medicine. Successfully collaborated with cross-functional teams to drive innovative solutions in preclinical development.
Senior Scientist
Moderna
Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Senior Scientist, RNA Biology, Genomics
SalioGen Therapeutics
Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
• Senior Scientist at Saliogen Therapeutics: Pioneered the development and optimization of the company’s proprietary gene editing platform (DNA transposase) across primary cells, animal models, and ex-vivo systems. Established robust methods for gene integration profile analysis and small-scale production of genome editor mRNAs. • Team Building and Leadership: Played a critical role in establishing and building R&D teams, setting up key laboratory cores and functions, and developing mRNA and Donor DNA molecules for the gene editing platform.
Scientist II
SalioGen Therapeutics
Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Research Fellow
Harvard Medical School
Boston MA
Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School: Conducted research on chromatin modifications and their role in gene regulation and RNA production. Discovered novel functions of the CTR9 subunit of PAFc in histone modification, contributing to the field’s understanding of transcriptional regulation.
Postdoctoral Researcher
University of Oxford
Oxford, United Kingdom
Doctoral and Postdoctoral Work at Oxford University: Investigated the mechanisms of RNA processing, quality control, and nuclear RNA export. Made significant discoveries regarding the crosstalk between mRNA production and export, and the regulatory roles of the spliceosome in RNA maturation.
Education
University of Oxford
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Wellcome trust DPhil. programme in Chromosome and Developmental biology Sir William Dunn School of Pathology
University of Oxford
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Spliceosome-mediated decay (SMD) regulates expression of nonintronic genes in budding yeast. Volanakis A, Passoni M, Hector RD, Shah S, Kilchert C, Granneman S, Vasiljeva L. Genes Dev. 2013 Sep 15;27(18):2025-38. doi: 10.1101/gad.221960.113. The Sm complex is required for the processing of non-coding RNAs by the exosome. Coy S, Volanakis A, Shah S, Vasiljeva L. PLoS One. 2013 Jun 6;8(6):e65606. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0065606.
Adam Volanakis, PhD's Contact Information
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