Drew Weissman Wife: Meet Mary Ellen Weissman – Drew Weissman is a distinguished American physician-scientist and Nobel Prize laureate renowned for his groundbreaking contributions to RNA biology.
Born on September 7, 1959, his exceptional work, recognized with the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2023, played a pivotal role in the development of mRNA vaccines, notably those for COVID-19 produced by BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna.
Drew Weissman Wife: Meet Mary Ellen Weissman
Drew Weissman’s wife is known as Mary Ellen Weissman. They have been together for a couple of years, and Mary Ellen is also known to be in the medical space. She is a renowned child psychologist.
Currently holding the prestigious position of the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research and serving as the director of the Penn Institute for RNA Innovation, Weissman is also a professor of medicine at the esteemed Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn).
Drew Weissman’s journey began in Lexington, Massachusetts, where he spent his formative years. He pursued his academic endeavors at Brandeis University, earning both a B.A. and M.A. in 1981 with a focus on biochemistry and enzymology. Subsequently, he undertook graduate studies in immunology and microbiology, obtaining his M.D. and Ph.D. in 1987 at Boston University. Following this, Weissman completed a residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and a fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), working under the guidance of the renowned Anthony Fauci.
In 1997, Weissman established his laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania, delving into the study of RNA and innate immune system biology. Notably, he formed a critical collaboration with Katalin Karikó, his research colleague, to explore the potential of RNA technology in vaccines. Overcoming challenges such as unwanted immune reactions, Weissman and Karikó’s groundbreaking 2005 study introduced synthetic nucleosides to modify RNA, preventing its degradation by the body—a crucial breakthrough that paved the way for RNA therapeutics.
Their collaboration extended beyond the laboratory, leading to the co-founding of RNARx in 2006, a venture aimed at developing innovative RNA therapies. The pinnacle of their collaborative success came in 2020 when their modified RNA technology became the cornerstone of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, playing a crucial role in the global fight against the pandemic.
Drew Weissman’s dedication to global health is further evidenced by his collaboration with scientists at Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University, working to develop and provide COVID-19 vaccines for Thailand and neighboring low-income countries with limited vaccine access.
The extensive recognition for Weissman’s pioneering work includes the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the 2020 Rosenstiel Award, the Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize, the Albany Medical Center Prize, the Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award, the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award, and the Princess of Asturias Award for Scientific Research in 2021, among numerous other accolades.
In 2022, he was honored with the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, the Jessie Stevenson Kovalenko Medal of the NAS jointly with Katalin Karikó, and the Japan Prize. Additionally, in 2022, he received the Robert Koch Prize and the Tang Prize in Biopharmaceutical Science, along with the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement. His remarkable contributions led to his election to the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Despite his global recognition, Drew Weissman remains connected to the impact of his work through heartfelt fan mail from people worldwide, expressing gratitude for making hugs and closeness possible again through the COVID-19 vaccine. This testament to his profound influence highlights Weissman’s enduring commitment to advancing scientific research for the betterment of humanity.
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
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Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
