Center Affiliation and Expertise: Inflammation and Innate Immunity
Dr. Weiner’s research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of action of anti-cancer monoclonal antibodies, and on development of novel approaches to immunotherapy of lymphoma. He has been continually funded by the NCI since 1991 and has been the PI on the University of Iowa / Mayo Clinic Lymphoma Specialized Program of Research Excellence (P50 CA097274) since it was initiated in 2002. This grant was renewed competitively in 2007 and 2012. Dr. Weiner’s research extends from basic laboratory investigation to clinical trials. He was the first to demonstrate Toll Like Receptor 9 agonists could be used successfully as immune adjuvants in tumor immunization. He has made major contributions to our understanding of the mechanisms of action responsible for the anti-tumor activity of monoclonal antibodies, including providing evidence that, in some cases, complement can inhibit the efficacy of some monoclonal antibodies.
Dr. Weiner served as Director of the UI Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center from 1998 to 2024. He has also served in a number of national leadership roles related to cancer centers, including past President of the Association of American Cancer Institutes and former chair of NCI subcommittee A (known as the cancer center parent committee).