Drew Weissman
Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research
Director of Vaccine Research, Infectious Diseases Division
Director, Institute for RNA Innovation, University of Pennsylvania
Department: Medicine
Contact information
410B Hill Pavilion
380 S University Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19104
380 S University Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Office: (215) 573-8491
Email:
dreww@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
dreww@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Graduate Group Affiliations
Publications
Education
B.A., M.A. (Biochemistry/Enzymology)
Brandeis University, 1981.
M.D. Ph.D. (Immunology/Microbiology)
Boston University, 1987.
B.A., M.A. (Biochemistry/Enzymology)
Brandeis University, 1981.
M.D. Ph.D. (Immunology/Microbiology)
Boston University, 1987.
Links
Search PubMed for articles
Cell and Molecular Biology graduate group faculty webpage.
Immunology graduate group faculty webpage.
Search PubMed for articles
Cell and Molecular Biology graduate group faculty webpage.
Immunology graduate group faculty webpage.
Post-Graduate Training
Residency in Medicine, Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, MA, 1987-1990.
Fellowship, Allergy and Immunology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 1990-1993.
Senior Staff Fellow, Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 1993-1997.
Residency in Medicine, Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, MA, 1987-1990.
Fellowship, Allergy and Immunology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 1990-1993.
Senior Staff Fellow, Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 1993-1997.
Certifications
American Board of Internal Medicine, 1990.
American Board of Allergy and Immunology, 1993.
Permanent linkAmerican Board of Internal Medicine, 1990.
American Board of Allergy and Immunology, 1993.
Description of Research Expertise
Dr. Weissman's laboratory focuses on the study of RNA and innate immune system biology and the application of these findings to vaccine research and gene therapy. There are three main projects in his laboratory. The first project began through the use of mRNA encoding antigen as a delivery system to load dendritic cells to promote broad immune responses as part of a vaccine. This project has expanded to include basic studies of RNA immunogenicity and translation and the development of applications for gene therapy. The second project develops new HIV envelope immunogens that can induce broad responses and cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies. The third project continues previous studies that identified a protein found on DC, macrophages, and epithelial cells that binds HIV envelope with high affinity. The main focus of this project is testing whether this and related molecules function in vivo to promote HIV genital tract infection.Selected Publications
Meshanni, JA, Sun, R, Berkihiser, SE, Abramova, E, Guo, CJ, Moore, NC, Laskin, DL, Weissman, D, Atochina-Vasserman, EN, Gow, AJ: Characterization of responses to bleomycin-induced acute lung injury female BALB/c mice. Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta-molecular Basis Of Disease 1873(1), JAN 2027.Saithong, S, Prompetchara, E, Ketloy, C, Khawsang, C, Tharakhet, K, Kaewpang, P, Yostrerat, N, Wangsoontorn, P, Charsangbong, K, Lam, K, Heyes, J, Weissman, D, Ruxrungtham, K: Preventive and therapeutic efficacy of mRNA/LNP vaccines encoding HPV16 E6 and E7 in an early-intervention HPV tumor mouse models. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics 22(1), DEC 31 2026.
Lin, MQ, Denton, S, Duan, N, Iqbal, N, Boyaka, PN, Dwivedi, G, Alameh, MG, Weissman, D, Rikihisa, Y: Efficacy and immunological correlates of an mRNA-LNP vaccine for protection against an emerging rickettsial pathogen. Emerging Microbes & Infections 15(1), DEC 31 2026.
Sandoval, MA, Li, Q, Shi, RQ, Giri, BR, Yanwinitchai, S, Southard, B, Ni, HP, Owens, DE III, Williams, RO III, Weissman, D, Cui, ZR: Effect of thin-film freezing process parameters and excipient composition on mRNA lipid nanoparticles in inhalable powders. International Journal Of Pharmaceutics 703, OCT 5 2026.
Semon, A, Manzer, HS, Keenan, O, Zhou, TH, Tiffany, C, She, QX, Knight, M, Weiss, AS, Donohoe, K, Morrow, BT, Glover, RC, Kovalik, ME, Tanes, C, Bittinger, K, Zemel, BS, Wu, GD, Silverman, MA, Gerber, JS, Rodríguez, RC, Lacy, DB, Karakasheva, TA, Alameh, MG, Weissman, D, Schultz-Cherry, SL, Rosch, JW, Planet, PJ, Moustafa, AM, Furth, EE, Abt, MC, Kelsen, JR, Conrad, MA, Hamilton, KE, Zackular, JP: Early-life colonization with Clostridioides difficile remodels the developing gut. Science 393(6815): 1045-1052, SEP 3 2026.
Marchitto, L, Wagh, K, Roark, RS, Coleon, S, Li, H, Skelly, AN, Hogarty, MP, Habib, R, Ding, W, Ayyanathan, K, Liu, WM, Sheng, ZZ, Guo, YC, Bal, J, Smith, LM, Sutherland, LL, Park, Y, Connell, AJ, Bibollet-Ruche, F, Lewis, E, Plante, SJ, Akeley, MJ, Lora, J, Zhao, CY, Carey, JW, Martella, CL, Li, YY, Campion, MS, Lituchy, MG, Osbaldeston, RA, Gordon, CG, Albertus, A, Su, J, Noguchi, C, Tam, YK, Barbosa, C, Liang, B, Amereh, K, Li, XD, Walsh, AA, Irvine, DJ, Andrabi, R, Edwards, RJ, Kreider, EF, Weissman, D, Shapiro, L, Kwong, PD, Korber, BT, Haynes, BF, Saunders, KO, Hahn, BH, Shaw, GM: Enhanced B cell priming induces broadly neutralizing HIV-1 apex antibodies. Nature 656(8128), AUG 20 2026.
Padilla, MS, Li, JJ, Zhang, QZ, Patwari, K, Shi, SH, Yamagata, HM, Joseph, RA, Hymms, BN, Teerdhala, SV, Fitzgerald, E, Chalom, OZ, Gupta, K, Alameh, MG, Weissman, D, Le, AD, Mitchell, MJ: Lipid Nanoparticle Co-Delivery of mRNA and a Small Molecule Drug for Oral Cancer Chemoimmunotherapy. Advanced Materials 38(47), AUG 2026.
Reagan, EK, Wright, DA, Clark, KE, Mercado-Lopez, X, Atochina-Vasserman, EN, Ni, HP, Mui, BL, Hu, FL, Bailey, JR, Bar, KJ, Weissman, D: mRNA-LNP hepatitis C vaccine encoding p7 elicits improved humoral immunogenicity. Vaccine 88, AUG 13 2026.
Ökten, A, Filler, R, Fang, ZH, McWilliams, B, Muscat-Rivera, J, Kung, JS, Gomes, IM, Mankowski, M, Skelly, A, Williams, A, Eisenbarth, S, Chen, SD, Baldridge, M, Lee, S, Nice, T, Wobus, C, Smith, T, Weissman, D, Krieder, E, Craft, J, Wilen, C: IgA is necessary and sufficient to protect against norovirus infection. Journal Of Immunology 215(_1), AUG 2026.
Maule, E, Albertus, A, Shuvaev, V, Muscat-Rivera, J, Kegel, M, Corrigan, A, Muzykantov, V, Kreider, E, Melamed, J, Weissman, D, Betts, M: Targeted Immunotherapy for Regulatory T Cells. Journal Of Immunology 215(_1), AUG 2026.