Dr. Sarah Herridge, Director of Research and Scientific Affairs, BioNTech Australia

Dr. Sarah Herridge is an accomplished leader with over 15 years of experience in RNA therapeutics development for oncology, spanning the full spectrum from target discovery to clinical trials. She earned her PhD in Biochemistry in Germany and completed her postdoctoral training at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in the United States, where she collaborated with Ionis Pharmaceuticals on pioneering RNA-based cancer therapies. Sarah has held leadership positions in academia, including as Senior Lecturer at the University of Otago in New Zealand, and served as the Founder and Chief Scientific Officer for two startups in the RNA therapeutics sector: Amaroq Therapeutics and Fold AI. She currently serves as Director of Research and Scientific Affairs at BioNTech Australia. In her current role, Sarah leads the development and execution of research strategy, manages scientific collaborations and external partnerships, oversees the onboarding of new research projects, and drives the implementation of scientific engagement initiatives to advance BioNTech’s mission in Australia and the wider region.