Weimer Lab

09/21/2025

Meliora Weekend was filled with so many special moments, but the pinnacle was Dr. Jill Weimer receiving the Alumni Achievement Award from the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry! 💙💛

Jill’s career in Batten disease research began at UR as both an undergraduate and graduate student in the labs of Drs. David Pearce and Howard Federoff. Today, that work continues through the incredible scientists in her Sanford lab and through research partnerships with collaborators at UR and beyond. Together, these teams—and the amazing rare disease families who inspire this mission—make everything possible.

Jill also shares her gratitude for the support of her family, friends, and mentors, all of whom have played a role in this journey.

This award was a true honor and a wonderful capstone to an unforgettable Meliora Weekend!

09/19/2025

This weekend, Dr. Jill Weimer gave the invited Alumni Lecture during Meliora Weekend at the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry! Her talk, “From Rare to Remarkable: Turning Research into Therapies,” shared the story of how her graduate work at UR SMD in the labs of Drs. David Pearce and Howard Federoff on CLN3 Batten disease laid the foundation for a career dedicated to rare disease research and therapy development.

She highlighted the incredible collaborations that make this work possible—especially with colleagues at UR SMD, Batten Disease Centers of Excellence, and most importantly, the families who bravely partner with us in the fight against Batten disease.

It was a tremendous honor to return to Rochester to share this journey with the community where it all began! 💙💛

09/18/2025

Jill is in Rochester this weekend for Meliora Weekend and the SMD Alumni Council meeting! This is one of her last meetings as Immediate Past President of the Alumni Council—a role she has been honored to serve in.

Looking ahead, Jill is also beginning a new chapter as the School of Medicine & Dentistry lead for the University-wide For Ever Better capital campaign, launching tonight. A wonderful opportunity to keep supporting the mission of research, education, and innovation that drives our community forward.

We’re proud of her continued leadership and commitment to the University of Rochester! 💙💛

09/15/2025

This weekend, Team Weimer participated in the annual Shine a Light on NF walk to support those affected by neurofibromatosis and raise awareness for NF research!

08/25/2025

The Weimer Lab is participating in the Children's Tumor Foundation Shine a Light on NF Walk on September 13th! Check out the link below for more information and to donate!

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08/19/2025

Throughout the next week, we will be introducing some new Weimer lab members! Sneha studied Biology Pre-Med and Philosophy at Augustana University. She currently works on our drug development team! Welcome Sneha!

08/18/2025

Throughout the next week, we will be introducing some new Weimer lab members! Kaia recently joined the lab after receiving her degree in Physiology, Cellular, and Molecular Biology from the University of South Dakota. While there, she participated in undergraduate research studying fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Kaia also works with our animal team. Welcome Kaia!

08/15/2025

Throughout the next week, we will be introducing some new Weimer lab members! Grace received her undergraduate degree majoring in animal science and pre-veteransrian medicine. She currently helps with our mouse studies and genotyping. Welcome Grace!

08/14/2025

Throughout the next week, we will be introducing some new Weimer lab members! Derick joined the lab earlier this year after earning his undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering and Neurology, as well as a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from UW-Madison. While there, he also competed on the cross country and track teams. He is currently part of the in vitro team working on high content screening and data analysis. Welcome Derick!

08/13/2025

Check out this cool photo from the Weimer lab!

🔬 Microscopy Monday 🔬

This image shows a section of the mouse hippocampus—a part of the brain that plays a key role in memory and learning. Fluorescent markers help highlight different features within the tissue: cell nuclei appear in blue, astrocytes in green, neurons in red, and a specific protein called CLN3 in the far-red channel.

Together, these details reveal the complex structure of brain cells and how they are organized within this critical region.

📸 Melissa Pratt

08/04/2025

Last week we said goodbye to our summer student Madison! Madison is going to be a senior this fall at Central Methodist University where she is majoring is biology and chemistry. Thank you Madison for your hard work this summer, you wil

08/01/2025

So fortunate to have Nadia and Madison in the lab this summer!!! Happy National Intern Day and thanks for all your hard work this summer as a part of the Weimer Lab!

🎉 Happy National Intern Day 🎉

We want to recognize the contributions of our SPUR summer students. Their curiosity, dedication, and hard work have been an important part of the research happening at Sanford this summer.

We’re proud to support the next generation of scientists.