Adam was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio, where he was first excited by academic research as a high school physics intern at Youngstown State University. He then attended the Ohio State University (Go Bucks!) where he double majored in chemistry and neuroscience. He performed research with Dr. Randy Nelson, and his undergraduate thesis focused on the physiological effects of chronic stress and dim light at night. Now, Adam is blending his interests in chemistry and immunology as a PhD co-advised by Aaron Esser-Kahn and Stuart Rowan. Adam is a 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 NIH T32 Chemistry-Biology Interface training grant awardee. When not in the lab, Adam prefers to be outdoors, partaking in activities such as running, Scuba diving, camping, and concert-going in the Chicago area.
Adam’s current work focuses on the use of modular polymer design to study the biophysical basis of NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Using high throughput polymer synthesis and rational molecular design, we hope to create a library of polymers that activate inflammasomes to better understand the mechanism of polymer-induced lysosomal rupture. This research will lead to the design of new vaccine adjuvants with enhanced safety profiles and controlled immune response profiles.
Development of Masitinib Derivatives with Enhanced Mpro Ligand Efficiency and Reduced Cytotoxicity
Cintia A Menendez, Adil Mohamed, Gustavo R Perez-Lemus, Adam M Weiss, Benjamin W Rawe, Guancen Liu, Alex E Crolais, Emma Kenna, Fabian Byléhn, Walter Alvarado, Dan Mendels, Stuart J Rowan, Savaş Tay, Juan J de Pablo Molecules 2023, 28(18), 6643
Understanding How Cationic Polymers’ Properties Inform Toxic or Immunogenic Responses via Parametric Analysis
Adam M. Weiss, Marcos A. Lopez II, Benjamin W. Rawe, Saikat Manna, Qing Chen, Elizabeth J. Mulder, Stuart J. Rowan*, and Aaron P. Esser-Kahn* Macromolecules 2023, 56, 18, 7286–7299
Site-specific antigen-adjuvant conjugation using cell-free protein synthesis enhances antigen presentation and CD8+ T-cell response
Weiss, A. M., Ajit, J., Albin, T. J., Kapoor, N., Maroju, S., Berges, A., … Esser-Kahn, A. P. Scientific Reports, 11(6267).
In Vitro and In Vivo Analyses of the Effects of Source, Length, and Charge on the Cytotoxicity and Immunocompatibility of Cellulose Nanocrystals
Weiss, A et al. ACS Biomater. Sci. Eng. 2021. doi: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.0c01618