Faculty

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Drew Weissman, M.D., Ph.D.

Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research

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Department: Medicine

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1f Graduate Group Affiliations 8

46 Contact information
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410B Hill Pavilion
38 380 S University Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19104

30 Office: (215) 573-8491
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Email:
dreww@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

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18 Publications
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26 Search PubMed for articles c

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13 Education:
21 f B.A., M.A. 24 (Biochemistry/Enzymology) c
2c Brandeis University, 1981.
21 f M.D. Ph.D. 24 (Immunology/Microbiology) c
2a Boston University, 1987.
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Links
100 Search PubMed for articles
45 Immunology graduate group faculty webpage.
46 Cell and Molecular Biology graduate group faculty webpage.
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5 3 3 90 Permanent link
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b6 > Perelman School of Medicine > Faculty > Details a

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Description of Research Expertise

3c4 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.
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Selected Publications

1d0 Techawiwattanaboon T, Leekitcharoenphon R, Alameh MG, Boonkea S, Sangkanjanavanich N, Nakornpakdee Y, Ajimathorn Y, Prompetchara E, Ketloy C, Buranapraditkun S, Palaga T, Kanthawong S, Heyes J, Weissman D, Ruxrungtham K, Patarakul K.: mRNA vaccines targeting Leptospira immunoglobulin-like proteins confer partial protection in a hamster model of leptospirosis. Vaccine 73: 128099, Feb 2026.

15a Bot A, Scharenberg A, Friedman K, Guey L, Hofmeister R, Andorko JI, Klichinsky M, Neumann F, Shah JV, Swayer AJ, Trudeau K, Weissman D, Stephan MT, Buchholz CJ, June CH.: In vivo chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy. Nat Rev Drug Discov. 25(2): 116-137, feb 2026.

145 Bot A, Scharenberg A, Friedman K, Guey L, Hofmeister R, Andorko JI, Klichinsky M, Neumann F, Shah JV, Swayer AJ, Trudeau K, Weissman D, Stephan MT, Buchholz CJ, June CH.: In vivo chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2026.

166 O'Brien EM, Tylek T, Geisler HC, Mukalel AJ, Whitaker RC, Sung S, Binder-Markey BI, Weissman D, Mitchell MJ, Spiller KL.: Macrophage cell therapy enabled by interleukin-4 mRNA-loaded lipid nanoparticles to sustain a pro-reparative phenotype in inflammatory injuries. Biomaterials 2026.

147 Page CL, Holbrook BC, Crofts KF, Alameh MG, Davis B, Caudell D, Weissman D, Alexander-Miller MA.: An influenza HA mRNA-LNP vaccine induces potent responses in newborn nonhuman primates that enhance protection from challenge. NPJ Vaccines 11: 2, Dec 2025.

19b Gong N, Kim D, Alameh MG, El-Mayta R, Han EL, Dwivedi G, Palanki R, Shi Q, Han X, Xue L, Xu J, Meng Z, Luo T, Figueroa-Espada CG, Weissman D, Li J, Mitchell MJ.: Mannich reaction-based combinatorial libraries identify antioxidant ionizable lipids for mRNA delivery with reduced immunogenicity. Nat Biomed Eng. 9(12): 2181-2195, dec 2025.

13c Nakamichi S, von Muhlinen N, Yamada L, Melamed JR, Papp TE, Parhiz H, Weissman D, Horikawa I, Harris CC.: SRSF3 knockdown-induced cellular senescence as a possible therapeutic strategy for non-small cell lung cancer. biorvix 8: 2025, Nov 2025.

14b Nakamichi S, von Muhlinen N, Yamada L, Melamed JR, Papp TE, Parhiz H, Weissman D, Horikawa I, Harris CC.: SRSF3 knockdown-induced cellular senescence as a possible therapeutic strategy for non-small cell lung cancer. Carcinogenesis. 46(4): bgaf082, nov 2025.

140 Nakamichi S, von Muhlinen N, Yamada L, Melamed JR, Papp TE, Parhiz H, Weissman D, Horikawa I, Harris CC.: SRSF3 knockdown-induced cellular senescence as a possible therapeutic strategy for non-small cell lung cancer. bioRxiv 46: bgaf082, Nov 2025.

13f Melamed JR, Muscat-Rivera J, Kegel M, Chaboub LS, Perez-Tremble R, Bhalla NS, Ni H, Sun H, Weissman D.: Anionic lipids modulate mRNA-lipid nanoparticle immunogenicity and confer protection in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis. bioRxiv Oct 2025.

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26 Last updated: 02/18/2026
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