Questions & Answers with Ed Miracco

We caught up with our colleague, Ed Miracco, as he celebrated his 8-year anniversary at Moderna, to hear his thoughts on how our Mindsets have shaped our unique culture.

Ed talks about how his passion for science first led him to Moderna and shares some tips on how to thrive in a fast-paced environment.

Name: Ed Miracco
Role: Director, RNA Chemical Biology and External Technology Investments
Years at Moderna: 8 years
Hometown: Gaithersburg, MD

In simple terms, what does your role entail?
A big question we’re asking ourselves now is, can we leverage Moderna’s incredible chemistry experience, systems, and RNA science to further improve an mRNA product? I’m building a team to find out!

How did you end up in this role?
I randomly met the CSO of Moderna in 2013 at the RNA Society conference and pestered him (and the rest of the company) for a job. After 8 months and a few polite declines, I started in the mRNA Process Sciences team and haven’t looked back.

What drew you to Moderna originally? How has Moderna changed since?
The idea that exogenously delivered mRNA would unlock medicine the way software unlocks computer hardware drew me to Moderna. Even though the success of our COVID-19 vaccine has, in some ways, changed everyone at Moderna, not too much has changed about our culture.

Which Moderna Mindset is your “strength”?
Both “we pivot fearlessly” and “we behave like owners” are strengths for me. Since we are building from scratch, these strengths work together—putting egos aside and pivoting in the face of new data to create new things to make mRNA medicines a reality.

What do you enjoy most about working at Moderna?
The people. The science. The resources we can deploy. In that order.

Where do you find inspiration?
My wife. My family. Realizing the power of disruptive technology—it’s like catching lightning in a bottle.

What advice would you give to someone just starting at Moderna?
Know that it may feel like you’re drowning for six months, but then you learn how to breathe underwater. My advice: ask questions; we’ve been at it for a long time and have a rich vernacular—not to trip people up but to have precise, descriptive language that is fast to say as we’re building a new field.

What are your hopes for the biopharmaceutical industry?
Continued innovation and really improving human health globally.

In addition to advancing an important mission to deliver on the promise of mRNA science for patients, Moderna is committed to creating an environment where everyone can do their best work.

We are proud to be recognized by Science Careers as a top employer (2015-2021) and we’re always looking for smart, talented and passionate people like Ed. Want to join the team?  See all open positions and find out more about why it’s good to be at Moderna.