Dr. Irving Lerner Weissman is a pioneering stem cell biologist and internationally recognized authority in hematopoietic stem cell research. He currently serves as the Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Professor of Clinical Investigation in Cancer Research and Professor of Pathology and Developmental Biology at Stanford University School of Medicine. After earning his MD from Stanford University in 1965 following undergraduate studies at Montana State University, he established his scientific career foundation at Montana's McLaughlin Research Institute before returning to Stanford for his distinguished academic journey. Dr. Weissman has held numerous leadership positions including founding director of both the Stanford Cancer Center and the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, where he served as Director from 2003 to 2022.
Dr. Weissman's groundbreaking research has fundamentally transformed our understanding of stem cell biology with his laboratory being the first to identify and isolate mammalian blood-forming stem cells in mice, establishing him as the father of modern hematopoiesis research. His innovative work in the late 1980s developed the methods to identify hematopoietic stem cells which give rise to the body's blood and immune cells, creating a foundation for revolutionary advances in regenerative medicine and cancer treatment. With over 950 scientific publications to his name, he has made seminal contributions to understanding the clonal events leading from hematopoietic stem cells to leukemia stem cells, significantly advancing cancer biology. His research group has trained hundreds of students and fellows who have gone on to make their own substantial contributions across biomedical science.
Beyond his laboratory discoveries, Dr. Weissman has been instrumental in advancing the field through policy initiatives including co-authoring California's Proposition 71 which secured three billion dollars in state funding for stem cell research after federal restrictions on human embryonic stem cell work. His leadership extends to founding the International Society for Stem Cell Research and serving as president of both the American Association of Immunologists and the International Society for Stem Cell Research. Currently, his laboratory continues to explore the identification, isolation and function of normal and cancer stem cells while advancing promising discoveries through preclinical and clinical trials. Dr. Weissman's enduring legacy and ongoing research continue to shape the future of regenerative medicine and cancer therapeutics worldwide.
