Korean RNA pioneer becomes the first Korean recipient of the Nakasone Award
Professor Kim V. Narry became the first Asian scientist to receive the HFSP Nakasone Award for RNA discoveries that helped lay the foundation for durable mRNA vaccines.
Professor Kim V. Narry of Seoul National UniversityINSTITUTE FOR BASIC SCIENCE
A Korean RNA pioneer has been named the recipient of the prestigious Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) Nakasone Award, the first Korean and Asian scientist to receive the honor, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT on Tuesday.
Professor Kim V. Narry, the director of the Center for RNA Research at the Institute for Basic Science and a professor of RNA Biology at Seoul National University, has been recognized for her discovery of “noncanonical RNA tailing pathways,” which created a new molecular foundation for durable mRNA vaccines, according to the HFSP.
“Prof. Kim established the foundational framework of the microRNA pathway by defining how microRNAs are generated,” according to HFSP Nakasone Award’s official announcement. “She proposed the first biogenesis model, identified key factors, and solved their structures, thereby establishing the molecular basis of microRNA biology and advancing siRNA technologies.”
The Nakasone Award is an annual honor that began in 2010, which recognizes distinguished scientists for their scientific achievements in the field of life sciences.
It was created by HFSP, a prestigious scientific research funding program that has awarded 8,500 researchers in the field of life science, across 73 countries, since the program’s creation in 1989.
Notably, unlike many prestigious scientific awards that recognize scientists for their lifelong achievements, the Nakasone Award recognizes achievements made only within the past decade.
The award is often viewed as a stepping stone to the Nobel Prize. Four out of 21 recipients have gone on to win the Nobel Prize.
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, left, presents an award to Kim, V. Narry, director of the Center for RNA Research at the Institute for Basic Science, at the 2026 Science and ICT Day ceremony at the Science and Technology Convention Center in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on April 21.YONHAP
Since 2012, Kim has been a pioneer in the field of RNA research by discovering the mechanisms behind the creation, function, and completion of RNAs. RNAs are nucleic acids that are present in all living cells. Even though they are similar to DNA's structures, RNAs are often single-stranded, while as DNAs are double-stranded.
Her works created a molecular foundation for more advanced models of mRNA vaccines.
Kim was up against 45 other notable candidates, according to the Science Ministry. Kim was chosen as the final candidate during the HFSP science advisory board meeting in April and was named as the official winner of the award on July 6 after the HFSP’s board of trustees meeting.
Recipients of the award receive a commemorative medal, an award certificate and $15,000 funding for their research. They also speak at the HFSP Nakasone Lecture in the program’s annual conference. Kim is scheduled to speak at next year’s conference.
“Seeing the first Korean recipient of HFSP Nakasone Award shows our life science research achievements have been globally recognized,” said Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon. “We will continue to support our researchers in the front line of scientific advancements to create world-class achievements and recognition on the global stage.”
