Vignesh Narayan Hariharan

Vignesh Narayan Hariharan is an Instructor at UMass Chan Medical School in the RNA Therapeutics Institute. His research focuses on developing advanced RNA-based therapeutics, particularly siRNA and oligonucleotide technologies for treating various diseases including neurological disorders, viral infections, and genetic conditions.

Education:

• BS in Biotechnology from Amrita School of Biotechnology, Kollam, India
• PhD in Biology from Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, KA, India

Dr. Hariharan's research program centers on overcoming key challenges in RNA therapeutics, with particular emphasis on chemical modifications to enhance siRNA stability, efficacy, and tissue-specific delivery. His work addresses critical barriers in oligonucleotide therapeutics including pharmacokinetics, off-target effects, and extrahepatic delivery. Recent breakthroughs include developing extended nucleic acid (exNA) backbones, novel lipid conjugation strategies, and divalent siRNA architectures that significantly improve therapeutic potential.

Analysis of Dr. Hariharan's publication trajectory reveals substantial growth in research impact from 2020-2025, with output increasing from 1-2 papers annually to 11 papers in 2023-2025. His work spans multiple therapeutic areas including neurological disorders (Huntington's disease, MECP2 duplication syndrome), autoimmune conditions (skin disorders), and infectious diseases (SARS-CoV-2). The most significant trend is his focus on chemical innovation to solve delivery challenges, particularly for CNS and extrahepatic targets.

Collaborative Network:

• Primary Collaborator: Dr. Anastasia Khvorova (appears on nearly all publications)
• Key Collaborators: Ken Yamada, Matthew Hassler, Neil Aronin, Julia Alterman
• Departmental Affiliations: RNA Therapeutics Institute at UMass Chan Medical School

Dr. Hariharan's research has gained significant attention in the scientific community, with multiple publications referenced in news outlets, patents, and social media discussions. His work on divalent siRNAs for SARS-CoV-2 and neurological disorders represents particularly impactful contributions to the field of RNA therapeutics.