Rebecca Yaworski
BSTC Podcast Development & Planning Subcommittee Co-Lead
PhD Student | The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI)
Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine | Neuroscience Program, University of Ottawa
Biography
Dr. Rebecca Yaworski is a PhD student under the supervision of Dr. Rashmi Kothary at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI). She began her doctoral degree in neuroscience in 2023 after working as a research assistant with the Kothay lab, supporting projects in multiple sclerosis and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Rebecca received her master’s degree in biochemistry in 2015 under the supervision of Dr. Morgan Fullerton at the University of Ottawa.
Rebecca’s projects involve characterizing the impact of low dose SMN1 gene replacement therapy as well as evaluating the potential of combinatorial therapy in a mouse model of SMA. Her work includes an international collaboration with Dr. Christiano Alves at Harvard University, where together they are exploring the potential of a novel CRISPR-Cas9 base editor for the treatment of SMA.
Recent Publications
Sutton, ER, Beauvais, A, Yaworski, R, McMillan, HJ, Kothary, R. Maternal-Fetal Administration of Risdiplam Partially Rescues the SMNΔ7 Mouse Model of Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Ann Neurol. 2026. PMID:42458739
de Almeida, MMA, Kornfeld, SF, De Repentigny, Y, Al-Aarg, M, Ghani, I, Cummings, SE et al.. Modulation of miR-145 in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis: A promising approach to attenuate inflammation and degeneration. Neurobiol Dis. 2025.213 106999 PMID:40505783
Reilly, A, Beauvais, A, Al-Aarg, M, Yaworski, R, Sutton, ER, Thebault, S et al.. Peripheral defects precede neuromuscular pathology in the Smn2B/- mouse model of spinal muscular atrophy. J Neuromuscul Dis. 2024.11 (6)1200-1210 PMID:39973467
Sutton, ER, Beauvais, A, Yaworski, R, De Repentigny, Y, Reilly, A, Alves de Almeida, MM et al.. Liver SMN restoration rescues the Smn2B/- mouse model of spinal muscular atrophy. EBioMedicine. 2024.110 105444 PMID:39515026
Kornfeld, SF, Cummings, SE, Yaworski, R, De Repentigny, Y, Gagnon, S, Zandee, S et al.. Loss of miR-145 promotes remyelination and functional recovery in a model of chronic central demyelination. Commun Biol. 2024.7 (1)813 PMID:38965401
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