VINSE is excited to announce that Alexander (Alex) Sorets is the recipient of the 2025 VINSE Best Collaborative Publication Award. Alex’s capstone publication, published in Nucleic Acids Research, represents a landmark study in brain drug delivery that brought together an extraordinary range of collaborations across Vanderbilt and beyond.
The study demonstrates that a novel lipid–siRNA conjugate (L2-siRNA), when administered directly into cerebrospinal fluid, can transport effectively throughout the brain and silence disease-relevant genes for months. This durable and cell type–specific gene silencing highlights a promising new therapeutic approach for neurodegenerative diseases with defined genetic risk factors.
The publication showcases Alex’s ability to bridge disciplines, from chemistry and molecular biology to neurobiology and pharmacology. His research required deep collaborations with multiple labs to develop and refine techniques, including conjugate synthesis, targeted injections in small and large animal models, chromatography measurements in human cerebrospinal fluid samples, and detailed molecular assays. The result is a comprehensive body of work that sets the stage for translation of siRNA therapies to the clinic.
The VINSE Best Collaborative Publication Award includes a cash prize and a celebratory dinner for all contributing authors.