A Washington State University alumnus who went on to become a leader in translational cancer immunology and built a career dedicated to transforming laboratory discoveries into potential new treatments for cancer patients is now investing in the next generation of scientists.
Through the Andrew and Mary Weinberg Foundation, Andrew D. Weinberg (’87 Biochemistry) has contributed nearly $1 million to support the Weinberg Fellowship, which provides tuition and stipend funding to first-year doctoral students in the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine’s School of Molecular Biosciences. Originally structured as a one-year award, the fellowship is now designed to support students for two years, with the possibility of renewal for a third.
“WSU gave me a great foundation, and I want to help provide that for today’s students,” Weinberg said. “If you have the foundation, then your creativity can really drive the discovery future.”
The foundation Weinberg received at WSU nearly four decades ago helped launch a career focused on advancing new immunotherapy approaches for cancer patients. Now a senior scientist at the Providence Cancer Institute in Portland and co-founder and CEO of the biotech company AgonOx, Weinberg helped show the biologic importance of the receptor called OX40 that sits on the surface of certain immune cells, called T cells. His work showed that turning on the OX40 receptor can boost the immune system’s ability to fight tumors, a finding that led to new immunotherapeutic approaches to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases.
Weinberg said he wants the fellowship to give students the flexibility to immerse themselves in research — potentially without the added pressure of teaching responsibilities.
“It’s so important to support science in this day and age where research has been cut so dramatically,” he said. “I really believe that research can make such a big difference — not only in the lives of the people who do it, but also the lives that you can impact from the science.”
The current Weinberg Fellow, Sydni Soloway, is a first-year doctoral student who plans to pursue research in DNA damage and repair. Soloway completed her bachelor’s degree in microbiology at Northern Arizona University, where she graduated with honors and Magna Cum Laude.
“This fellowship will allow me to focus on my studies so I can set myself up for success as an accomplished and learned researcher,” Soloway said. “I can do research that applies to human health and is extremely interesting. With this fellowship, I can focus on these passions without worrying about getting another job during grad school. I would love to thank Dr. Weinberg again for his contributions to my future.”
For Weinberg, supporting students at this stage is deliberate. Graduate school, he said, is where scientists master the fundamentals that allow new ideas to take shape.
“Once you learn the basics,” he said, “you can take that foundation and use your ideas to further the field and potentially make differences in the lives of people and patients.”
Weinberg’s own path reflects that progression. After completing his doctoral training at WSU — where his thesis work involved cloning and characterizing bovine IL-2 and the IL-2 receptor — he pursued postdoctoral training in immunology at University of California, San Diego, and eventually joined what is now the Providence Cancer Institute. His cancer research ultimately led to early-phase clinical trials and the creation of AgonOx, Inc. to further develop novel immunotherapies. AgonOx, which drives the development of new cancer immunotherapies, has grown to seven employees.
In 2017, Dr. Weinberg received the Judith Ann Hartmann Endowed Chair for the Laboratory of Basic Immunology at Providence’s Earle A. Chiles Research Institute in recognition of his efforts in translational cancer therapy. Weinberg has authored more than 100 research works and is an adjunct professor for microbiology and immunology at the Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine.
Weinberg and his wife, Mary, established the Andrew and Mary Weinberg Foundation to support their philanthropic passions, including continued investment in scientific research and education.