{"id":660302,"date":"2025-07-16T14:07:23","date_gmt":"2025-07-16T18:07:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/?p=660302"},"modified":"2025-11-19T15:24:36","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T20:24:36","slug":"alumni-connections-eric-wagner-first-generation-rna-trailblazer-660302","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/alumni-connections-eric-wagner-first-generation-rna-trailblazer-660302\/","title":{"rendered":"Eric Wagner \u201997: From first-generation student to RNA trailblazer"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-embed\">\n<div class=\"wp-embed-wrap\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Alumni Connections: Eric Wagner &#039;97\" width=\"1062\" height=\"597\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/C-DIzuQASd0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The alumnus-turned-faculty member reflects on how his undergraduate years set the stage for his life\u2019s work.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":372,"featured_media":660392,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[42,41852,28152,18722,41912,37112,16072,41012],"class_list":["post-660302","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-campus-community","tag-alumni","tag-alumni-connections","tag-department-of-biochemistry-and-biophysics","tag-department-of-biology","tag-eric-wagner","tag-faculty","tag-school-of-arts-and-sciences","tag-videos"],"acf":{"external":"","hide_featured_image":true,"related":"show_related","style":[605662,593122,591522],"content_modules":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","anchor":"","css_class":"pt-15","title":"<h2><strong>The alumnus-turned-faculty member reflects on how his undergraduate years set the stage for his life\u2019s work.<\/strong><\/h2>","content":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.urmc.rochester.edu\/people\/112362837-eric-j-wagner\">Eric Wagner<\/a> has come full circle. The first-generation undergraduate biochemistry major from the University of Rochester has developed\u00a0into a pioneering RNA scientist and mentor at his alma mater.\r\n\r\nNow a professor of biochemistry and biophysics and co\u2011director of the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.urmc.rochester.edu\/rna-biology\">Center for RNA Biology<\/a> at the University\u2019s Medical Center, Wagner brings expertise from a career that spans Duke, University of North Carolina, and University of Texas. He was recently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.urmc.rochester.edu\/news\/story\/rna-biologist-eric-wagner-named-2024-aaas-fellow\">elected a fellow<\/a> of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world\u2019s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal <em>Science<\/em>.\r\n\r\nIn our video, Wagner reflects on how his undergraduate years set the stage for his life\u2019s work\u2014research that continues to shape diagnostic and therapeutic approaches worldwide. But he is also deeply committed to fostering the next generation of researchers. Wagner acknowledges how the \u201caggregate work of all the talented and committed students and postdocs\u201d has shaped his path\u2014a tribute to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.urmc.rochester.edu\/news\/publications\/rochester-medicine\/rna-discoveries-leading-to-cutting-edge-cures\">collaborative spirit that defines education and research<\/a> at the University of Rochester.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_660512\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1000\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-660512\" src=\"http:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/inline-Eric-Wagner-with-Lab-Team-1-1000w.jpg\" alt=\"Eric Wagner and three of the members of his lab seen through the shelving in the space.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" \/> Eric Wagner (second from left) with members of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.urmc.rochester.edu\/labs\/wagner\">his lab<\/a>. (糖心传媒 Medical Center photo)[\/caption]","background_color":"#ffffff","width":"width-medium"},{"acf_fc_layout":"card_grid","anchor":"","css_class":"","title":"","description":"","background_color":"#FFFFFF","width":"width-medium","columns":"1","cards":[{"card_title":"<p class=\"u-card-title\">Where will a URochester education take you?<\/p>","card_text":"The 糖心传媒\u2019s flexible curriculum allows you to create an academic experience\u2014and future career\u2014that is as unique as you are.\r\n<p class=\"card_cta\">Discover the URochester difference<\/p>","card_background_color":"#f4f4f4","card_hover_color":"#283faf","card_link":{"title":"","url":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/about\/curriculum.html","target":""},"card_hover_arrow":"","card_image":645472,"card_image_size":"image_thumbnail","card_image_placement":"image_left","card_image_hover_state":"hover_fade","card_image_link":""}]}]},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - 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