Swetha Rajasekaran
Senior Scientist Alltrna
Dr. Swetha Rajasekaran is a Senior Scientist at Alltrna, where she leads secondary pharmacology and off-target strategy for the company’s first-in-class tRNA-based RNA therapeutic. Her PhD research at The Ohio State University focused on core RNA-silencing machinery, defining how cooperative RNA-binding proteins regulate DICER1 to control miRNA processing. She also discovered a novel clinical biomarker of target engagement. She brings a translational lens to how oligonucleotide chemistry choices – off-target liability, delivery, and trafficking – shape whether an RNA therapeutic advances safely and efficiently to the clinic.
Seminars
RNAi therapeutics are constantly expanding into increasingly challenging tissues and chronic disease indications, making optimising oligonucleotide chemistry essential for improving both therapeutic performance and commercial viability. This workshop will explore how novel chemical modifications can enhance stability, circulation time and tissue exposure, enabling more durable gene silencing and less frequent dosing. Attendees will examine emerging approaches designed to overcome key barriers such as RNA degradation, poor intracellular trafficking and limited endosomal escape, while balancing potency, safety and manufacturability. The session will also discuss
how advances in chemistry are helping developers extend the clinical lifespan of RNAi assets, reduce dose burden for patients, unlock applications beyond traditional liver-directed therapies and, with an off-target strategy lens, how these decisions are assessed and defended through the regulatory process.
Join this workshop to:
- Assess chemical modifications that enhance durability and circulation time
- Improve therapeutic performance while reducing dose burden
- Extend the commercial and clinical viability of RNAi assets
- Overcome challenges like endosomal escape or RNA degradation
- Understanding the drivers of RNAi-related toxicity
- Optimizing delivery, chemistry & dosing to improve therapeutic index
- Building confidence in safety as RNAi expands beyond the liver
