Speaker Profile
PMWC PIONEER AWARD
2023 Nobel Prize Laureate - Developer of mRNA technology that revolutionized vaccine development and gene therapy
M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Infectious Diseases, Penn Medicine
Biography
Dr. Drew Weissman is a world-renowned physician and researcher at Penn Medicine, where he serves as a Professor of Infectious Diseases at the Perelman School of Medicine. Dr. Weissman joined Penn in 1997 following a fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where he studied HIV under the guidance of Dr. Anthony Fauci. His pioneering research in RNA biology, particularly in collaboration with Dr. Katalin Karikó, led to the invention of the modified mRNA technology used in Pfizer-BioNTech and Modernas COVID-19 vaccines. This groundbreaking work, which involved modifying mRNA and developing a lipid nanoparticle delivery method, made mRNA vaccines safe and effective, a breakthrough that was crucial in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. For these contributions, Dr. Weissman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2023. Currently, Dr. Weissman's team is developing a pan-coronavirus vaccine to prevent future epidemics, a universal influenza vaccine, and a vaccine to prevent herpes. They are also working on cancer therapeutics using mRNA technology. Dr. Weissman received his bachelors and masters degrees from Brandeis University and earned his MD and PhD from Boston University. He completed his residency at Beth Israel Hospital. His contributions have not only transformed the field of infectious diseases but have also opened new avenues for treating various conditions, including cancer, marking significant advancements in the medical field.
Session Abstract – PMWC 2025 Silicon Valley
Track Chair: Maryland Franklin, Labcorp
- Cross-Application of Oncology Drugs in Rare Diseases
- Razelle Kurzrock, Medical College of Wisconsin
- PMWC 2025 Award Ceremony
Luminary Honoree: David R. Liu, Broad Institute & Crystal Mackal, Stanford University
Pioneer Honoree: Drew Weissman, Penn Medicine
- Breakthroughs in Cancer Immunotherapy: mRNA Vaccines and CAR T-Cell Advances (PANEL)
Chair: Ira Mellman, Medici Therapeutics
- Drew Weissman, Penn Medicine
- Crystal Mackal, Stanford University - Next-Generation ADCs: Challenges and Innovations in Immunotherapy Combinations (PANEL)
Chair: Sandhya Girish, Gilead
- Bin Liu, UCSF
- Hanspeter Gerber, Sutro Bioscience
- Amrita Kamath, Genentech
- Stephen Eck, MacroGenics - Strategic IP Management in Cell and Gene Therapy: Navigating Legal and Practical Challenges
- Janet Xiao, Morrison & Foerster LLP
- Keynote: Base Editing, Prime Editing, and Targeted Gene Integration: Precision Therapeutic Genome Editingn
- David R. Liu, Broad Institute
- Advances in Allogeneic Cell Therapies: Overcoming Hurdles and Expanding Applications (PANEL)
Chair: Elliot Norry, Adaptimmune
- Larry Lamb, IN8bio
- Indu Ramachandran, Century Therapeutics - Bottlenecks in Manufacturing of Cell Therapies
- Fabian Gerlinghaus, Cellares
- Transforming Cancer Treatment: Stem Cell and Gene Therapy Breakthroughs
Chair: Catriona Jamieson, UCSD Health
- Irv Weisman, Stanford
- Collaborations Advancing Genetics-based Diagnostic Testing for Cell and Gene Therapy
Chair: Maryland Franklin, Labcorp
- Data-Driven Innovations in Oncology Cell Therapy Trials
- Prabhu Snehit, Stanford
- Advancements and Future Directions in Therapeutic Ultrasound for Precision Medicine
Chair: Masha Stromme, EXACT Therapeutics
- John de Groot, UCSF
- Bhaskar Ramamurthy, Cordance Medical (br) - Raag Airan, Stanford
