THE MESSENGER - University of Geneva - December 12, 2024

The inaugural event of THE MESSENGER communication impact took place at the University of Geneva on December 12, 2024, aimed at bridging the gap between the scientific community and society.

The event centered around the documentary film “THE MESSENGER: A Story of mRNA”, which featured pioneering scientists, including the 2023 Nobel Prize winners Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman.

Martine Collart, a vice-rector of University of Geneva, welcomed the audience, with Yelena Ganshof van der Meersch, the film producer, sharing a story of the film creation.

Following the screening, a public discussion took place on the future of medical treatments driven by mRNA technology.

The panel included esteemed scientists:

• Prof. Steve Pascolo, University Hospital Zurich - a pionneer in the field of synthetic mRNA
• Prof. Adrian Krainer, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory - expert in RNA gene-splicing expert
• Prof. Alexandra Calmy, University of Geneva - HIV infectiologist
• Prof. Arnaud Didierlaurent, University of Geneva - vaccine immunology specialist  
• Prof. Mikaël Pittet, University of Geneva - working on manipulating the immune system to fight cancer

THE MESSENGER communication project seeks to ignite meaningful dialogue between scientists, policymakers, practitioners, and the wider community, with a special emphasis on engaging young people, using the film as a springboard for discussions.

The project is managed by:

• Yelena Ganshof van der Meersch, film producer
• Evgeniya Vinpal, impact producer

Contact: [email protected]