Phillip D. Zamore

Phillip D. Zamore serves as Chair and Professor of the RNA Therapeutics Institute at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School School of Medicine and is an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He holds the Gretchen Stone Cook Professorship in Biomedical Sciences and leads pioneering research in RNA biology.

Dr. Zamore earned his A.B. (1986) and Ph.D. (1992) in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Harvard University, followed by postdoctoral training at The Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. His research focuses on small RNA silencing pathways including RNA interference (RNAi), microRNA, and PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) mechanisms across eukaryotic and prokaryotic systems. Key investigations explore how Argonaute proteins achieve sequence-specific regulation of transcription and translation, with emphasis on piRNA biogenesis in germ cells and bacterial Argonaute functions.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals dominant themes in transposon silencing, piRNA pathway evolution, RNA therapeutic development, and molecular mechanisms of gene regulation. His work bridges fundamental biochemistry with clinical applications, particularly in RNA-based therapies for genetic disorders.

Notable scientific honors include:

• Chancellor’s Medal for Excellence in Scholarship (2015)
• Dean's Award for Research Mentoring (2011)
• Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (2014)
• Election to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, National Academy of Sciences, and National Academy of Medicine (2023)

Dr. Zamore has co-founded multiple biotechnology companies including Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (2002), which developed the FDA-approved RNAi therapeutic ONPATTRO for hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis, and Voyager Therapeutics (2014). His laboratory has trained dozens of researchers now leading institutions worldwide, with over 150 publications and 119 patents reflecting his translational impact. Current research leverages biochemical and genetic approaches to develop RNA-guided therapies for diseases like Huntington's.

The Zamore Laboratory operates within the RNA Therapeutics Institute at UMass Chan Medical School, utilizing advanced genomic, biochemical, and imaging technologies to study small RNA pathways in model organisms including Drosophila, mice, and bacterial systems.