SATURNA is the initiative of Prof. Raphaëlle Luisier to redefine RNA biology through artificial intelligence. Building on breakthrough discoveries in ALS arising from the integration of computational RNA biology with molecular and clinical neuroscience (Luisier–Patani collaboration), she identified a critical bottleneck in the field: classical bioinformatics limits progress in understanding RNA-driven mechanisms in complex diseases.

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While establishing her group at Idiap in 2023, Prof. Luisier articulated a new paradigm, AI must become a core engine of RNA discovery. To implement this vision, she founded SATURNA as a focused international alliance uniting expertise in RNA biology and data science, molecular and clinical neuroscience, and world-class AI.

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Prof. Luisier has a strongly interdisciplinary profile at the intersection of RNA biology, bioinformatics, and AI. Trained as a bioengineer (EPFL) with a PhD in bioinformatics (University of Basel), she has spent the past decade uncovering RNA-mediated disease mechanisms, including key roles of non-coding mRNA regions in neurodegeneration. Her work also pioneered AI models for detecting neuronal abnormalities and tumour archetypes from histopathology. In recognition of her vision to unite AI and RNA biology, Prof. Luisier was appointed tenure-track Assistant Professor at the University of Bern, where she leads the AI for RNA Biology Lab in the Faculty of Medicine’s Department of Digital Medicine. 

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As founder, Prof. Luisier sets the strategic direction of SATURNA, guiding the consortium while bridging computational and biological sciences — ensuring that technological innovation is grounded in real biomedical needs and that domain experts are empowered with cutting-edge AI tools.