Daniel O’Reilly

2022 Award for Patient Advocacy Winner Daniel O’Reilly, PhD

Daniel O’Reilly, PhD
RTI, UMass Chan Medical School

Biography:
Daniel O’Reilly is currently a Post-Doctoral Associate in the Lab of Professor Anastasia Khvorova in the RNA Therapeutics Institute at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. Dan earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry under the tutelage of Professor Masad Damha at McGill University, Montreal, Canada. In the Khvorova lab, Dan is leading HD research projects including utilizing siRNA to modulate MMR factors to block somatic expansion. Dan is also leading a group whose role is to utilize novel chemical scaffolds to enhance RISC loading and cleavage to increase the long-term efficacy of siRNA. Dan is a Hereditary Disease Foundation Scholar (2020-2022) and was a trainee rep on the Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Society Board of Directors (2019-2021). He was also co-guest editor, with Professor Tim Yu, for a special issue on oligonucleotides and N=1 therapeutics, in nucleic acid therapeutics. He was recently the co-president of the University of Massachusetts Chan Post-Doctoral Association (2021-2022).

Dan was inspired to work in the field of rare diseases after his mom was diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease. Outside of the lab, Dan is on the HD-Voice committee, which provides advice on science for the Huntington’s Disease Association UK. He is also a scientific advisor to his family’s charity (ADDOR) which raises funds for patients and families affected by Huntington’s Disease.

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