Distinguished Visiting Scientist Dr. Drew Weissman Visits Friends’ Central School

By Noah Perot ‘26 (Reporter)

Nobel Prize Winner, immunologist, and professor in vaccine research at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Drew Weissman has no shortage of impressive titles. But after decades, he now has one more title under his belt: Distinguished Visiting Scientist at Friends’ Central School.

Filled with humility and poise, Dr. Weissman made his debut at Friends’ Central on April 9th. His visit has been anticipated by community members and students for several months, especially students in the Science Core Team, who have spent the year studying vaccine science and Dr. Weissman’s contributions to the field.

Dr. Weissman had flown from the West Coast back to Philadelphia earlier that morning on only a few hours of jetlagged sleep before heading to Friends’ Central for a Q&A with the Science Core Team. Questions ranged from “When did you know you wanted to study mRNA?” to “How will recent federal funding cuts affect the work you’re doing?” to “How do you think we as students should best respond to the proliferation of antivaccine rhetoric?”

After the discussion, Dr. Weissman headed to Shalcross Hall for the main talk. Benches were packed, and an RSVP was a must to attend the presentation, which was undoubtedly one of the most well-attended visiting lectures in recent history at Friends’ Central.

Dr. Weissman’s speech was fascinating, forward-looking, and at times, frustratingly honest about the uncertain future of vaccine research in the U.S., and by extension, globally. Dr. Weissman highlighted the scientific basis for the remarkable work he has done around mRNA and lipid nanoparticles, work which was largely responsible for the breakneck speed at which the COVID vaccine was developed. However, he also touched on the social side of vaccinology and the disparities between rich nations and poor countries, a large majority of which cannot afford to invest meaningfully in vaccine development of their own.

Many students noted Dr. Weissman’s generosity and sense of humor following his talk. For aspiring scientists in the audience, his work represents the best of what science can accomplish for the good of humanity. While Dr. Weissman has accomplished a great amount already, he made clear that he is already working on many new applications for mRNA technology, work that includes developing a vaccine that would protect against HIV, creating sickle cell gene therapies, and designing cancer therapeutics. As public trust in scientists wanes, people like Dr. Weissman remind the public why science should be considered not as an unnecessary expense but as one of the most valuable assets for the good and well-being of humanity.

From https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-XHbvss with a password “phoenix”