Honoring Jeff Weber, a giant in the field of oncology

Jeffrey S. Weber, MD, PhD, a 2016 Giants of Cancer Care awardee in Melanoma, passed away on August 19, 2024.

Weber held several prominent roles, including Deputy Director of the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Professor of Oncology in the Department of Medicine at New York University (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine, director of the Experimental Therapeutics Program, and co-leader of the Clinical Melanoma Program Board at NYU Langone Health.

Before joining NYU Langone Health in 2015, he served as director of the Donald A. Adam Comprehensive Melanoma Research Center at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, from 2007 to 2015.

His career also included research and teaching positions at the University of California, Irvine, and leadership roles at the University of Southern California (USC), where he was chief of Medical Oncology and associate director of Clinical Research at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center in Los Angeles.

Weber was a lead investigator on a pivotal phase 3 trial (NCT00094653) that demonstrated improved overall survival in patients with unresectable stage III or IV melanoma treated with ipilimumab (Yervoy) with or without a gp100 peptide vaccine, compared to those receiving the gp100 peptide vaccine alone.

Doctors and healthcare organisations all around the US shared their condolences:

Patrick Hwu:

“So sad to hear about the passing of Jeff Weber, a giant in the field of oncology. He was involved in the early days of cytokine and cell therapy and most recently led studies of personalized vaccines for melanoma patients.

I originally worked with Jeff at the National Cancer Institute over 30 years ago. He was a great friend and colleague to many of us in the melanoma and immunotherapy field and we will remember him as a pioneer, thought leader and compassionate physician.”

Jarushka Naidoo:

“Saddened to hear of the passing of friend and mentor Jeff Weber.

Thank you for being an exemplary teacher, and igniting with Jedd Wolchok my interest in immune tox. Thank you for teaching me how to write a paper. I still read those notes at least once a year.

Rest in Peace.”

Robert Andtbacka:

“Today is a very sad day for the oncology community. Jeff Weber wasn’t just a pioneer in cancer treatment and a brilliant scientist—though he was certainly both of those things. He was someone who brought passion and vision to everything he did, always pushing the boundaries of what was possible in cancer research with a relentless drive and curiosity that inspired everyone around him.

Jeff was so much more than his work. He had a deep love for life, which shone through in his enthusiasm for fine wine, exquisite dining, and the joy he found in a good trivia challenge. His knowledge was vast, but it was his warmth and generosity that made him truly unforgettable.

We will miss Jeff dearly—not just for his contributions to science, but for the friend and mentor he was to all of us. Thank you for all the memories, the scientific discussions, the agreements and differing opinions, the beers and singalongs in Munich, the private dinners, the guidance, and the help.

Rest easy, Jeff. Your spirit and your work will live on in all of us.”

Melanoma Research Alliance:

“The Melanoma Research Alliance mourns the passing of Dr. Jeffrey S. Weber, a true pioneer in the field of cancer immunotherapy and an extraordinary leader in melanoma research. His contributions have forever changed the landscape of melanoma treatment, bringing groundbreaking advances from the lab into clinical practice and offering hope to countless patients.

Dr. Weber’s distinguished career was marked by decades of dedication to harnessing the power of the immune system to fight cancer. He was a visionary who played an instrumental role in the development of checkpoint inhibitors and other immunotherapy treatments that have revolutionized the way we approach melanoma and other cancers.

His leadership at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, and USC’s Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center demonstrated his commitment to pushing the boundaries of scientific discovery and clinical excellence.

Dr. Weber enriched MRA’s scientific expertise through his distinguished service on our grant review committee and our medical advisory panel.

Dr. Weber’s impact extended beyond his scientific achievements. His ability to foster collaborative partnerships between basic scientists, clinicians, and translational researchers was unparalleled, and his legacy will continue to inspire and guide the next generation of cancer researchers.

His legacy will endure in the progress we continue to make against melanoma and in the lives of the patients who have benefitted from his transformative research.

We send our deepest condolences to Dr. Weber’s family, friends, colleagues and patients.”

Omid Hamid:

“Jeff Weber’s career was not only filled with patient advocacy, leadership and achievement but punctuated by mentorship. I urge all fellows and junior faculty to find someone like Jeff – great friend, amazing mentor, brother, leader.

Jeff was on a trial call this Thursday at 7 am running through patients, and plans. He worked on Friday. Always leading by being the example. Always communicated in the future tense. Precise to a point, expert. Dry wit. When I was a resident on his service, you could wear scrubs but had to show up to rounds in a shirt and tie.

Respect. As his fellow I raced to Norris to round on the IL2 patients before his 545 phone call. Tactical. As his apprentice he insisted on 6 am education on Immunology, trials, life. So grateful for his guidance, mentorship, friendship. Irreplaceable.

May his memory be a blessing.

I’m sure he’d ask us not to make such a fuss.”

Eric Whitman:

“During my time at the NCI, there were two (slightly) more senior fellows that served as advisors, friends and role models: Jeff Weber and Patrick Hwu.

This past weekend we lost Jeff and the melanoma and immunotherapy world is a sadder, emptier place. Jeff was so bright yet kind and helpful.

Although I didn’t know it at the time, our last hours together were spent in a United Airlines Club in Houston talking kids, vacations, snack foods and oh yeah melanoma, TILs, cellular therapy and cancer research. May his memory be a blessing, as others have also shared.”

Bernard Fox:

“Prof. Dr. Jeffrey S. Weber, my friend, you will be missed.

Your contributions to the field of cancer immunotherapy and your efforts to mentor so many will live on as a testament to you and your amazing career.

I would like to share the following video where Jeff shares words of wisdom and advice for all in academic medicine and research careers where the search for answers takes a toll. He also shares advice on what needs to happen for the academic research infrastructure to survive.

This rings true today as many corporations are leaving cancer I-O space and the important role academics will play in making progress. This was produced by the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) to celebrate Jeff’s induction into the Fellows of the Academy of Immunotherapy-Oncology (FAIO).”

Proceed to the video attached to the post.

Cancer Research Institute (CRI):

“The Cancer Research Institute mourns the loss of Dr. Jeffrey S. Weber, deputy director of NYU Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center. As an accomplished physician scientist, Dr. Weber drove advances in melanoma research, and played an active role in educating patients about the lifesaving power of immunotherapy.

Join us today in remembering his transformative impact on the field, and on the lives of patients everywhere.”