A new model for
turning RNA science
into medicine
About
Sanford Laboratories for Innovative Medicines is an independent, not-for-profit research institute dedicated to discovering and delivering the next generation of RNA-based medicines.
We occupy a deliberate position in the biomedical landscape — between the frontier of academic discovery and the rigor of industry development. Our programs are built around clear therapeutic goals, with defined milestones and go/no-go decision points that keep the work focused on what matters most: moving promising science closer to patients.
Founded in 2023 and based in San Diego's Torrey Pines research corridor, we are a growing interdisciplinary team, bringing together expertise in RNA biology, computational science, and drug discovery under one roof.
OUR TEAM
Our approach
We are focused on RNA biology, a field that has seen extraordinary momentum — from the mRNA vaccines that defined the COVID-19 pandemic response to approved therapies for previously untreatable genetic diseases. The science is advancing rapidly, and the opportunity to translate that momentum into new medicines has never been greater.
Our research programs are organized around therapeutic approaches and platform technologies with broad applicability across diseases — allowing us to prototype multiple candidate medicines in parallel, efficiently and with discipline. Rather than pursuing open-ended exploratory research, every program is designed with the end goal in mind.
We are pioneering a model in which programs that reach a meaningful value inflection point move to biopharma partners through licensing, co-development, or new company formation — with returns reinvested to fund the next wave of research. It's an approach designed to sustain and grow the mission over time.
We are also a collaborative hub, forging active partnerships with leading academic institutions, research organizations and healthcare systems— including UC San Diego, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and Sanford Health — to ensure that the best science finds its way into our pipeline and ultimately to patients.
Learn more about our science
Powered by a vision for impact
“I've spent my life backing people with the drive to advance medicine — and the ingenuity to shorten the distance from discovery to treatment. Sanford Labs was built on exactly that conviction.”
Sanford Labs was founded with the generous support of T. Denny Sanford, a lifelong champion of biomedical and healthcare innovation whose philanthropy transformed health sciences communities locally and globally. His vision — that strategic investment can accelerate the path from discovery to patient benefit — remains at the heart of what we do.
Meet our teamPartners
We are always interested in connecting with academic collaborators, biopharma companies, and investors who share our commitment to accelerating the path from RNA discovery to medicine.
Get an early look at our programs and explore what a partnership with Sanford Labs could look like.
Get in touch
Scientists
We are actively building a team of researchers who want to do rigorous, purposeful science — with the focus and resources to see it through.
If you're driven by hard problems and by the prospect of real therapeutic impact, we'd like to hear from you.
Explore open positions
