David Weiner | Executive Vice President: Director of Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center
The Wistar Institute

Weiner directs a translational molecular immunology research team focused on creating novel immunotherapy approaches for disease prevention and treatment using synthetic nucleic acid technology. Accomplishments of the team and collaborators include the first clinical studies of DNA vaccines, with a focus on advances in gene optimization and electroporation (EP)-mediated DNA delivery. Their work has revitalized the field, rapidly and safely moving new advances into human studies. These include the world’s first Zika vaccine, the first MERS vaccine, an advanced Ebola Vaccine, and a novel HIV vaccine, among others. Additionally, the Weiner laboratory has helped to develop immunotherapy approaches that are currently in clinical testing for HPV-associated cancer, prostate, liver, and other cancers. The first clinically efficacious therapeutic DNA vaccine for HPV cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) has moved into a licensure trial (REVEAL). His research has earned him many accolades, including the following limited selection: American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow (2011); International Society for Vaccines Fellow (2012); NIH Directors Translational Research Award (2011); Top 40 Influential Vaccine Scientist (2014); Stone Family Award for Immunotherapy Cancer Research (2014); Vaccine Nation’s 50 Influential Vaccinologists (2015); Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Hilleman Lectureship (2015); VIE Outstanding Academic Research Laboratory (2015 & 2016; runner-up in 2017-2019); Top 20 Nature Biotechnology Translational Laboratories (every year from 2016 to 2020); Pennsylvania Life Sciences Excellence Award (2019); President of the International Society for Vaccines (2018-2020); Pennsylvania Drug Industry Award in Scientific Excellence (2022); and the Genscript Outstanding Lab Award (2023).