Eric Weaver

Research Interests

My current research explores the use of bioinformatics, phylogenetics, immunology and molecular biology to study the basic mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions and to create improved vaccines against microbial diseases. My research program can be broken into two arms, vaccine antigen design and vaccine platform design. First, we are testing ancestral/centralized genes to determine if they are useful as universal vaccines  in vivo.  In addition we are exploring systems biology approaches to improve vaccine antigen design to improve the breadth and efficacy of the vaccine antigens. Second, vaccine platform design explores the use of alternative viral vectors as vaccines, as well as the development of safer more effective viral vaccine platforms.

Recent News Articles

1. Researchers getting closer to a “universal” flu vaccine. Carolyn Beans. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Feb 2022, 119 (5) e2123477119; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2123477119
2. Vaccine shows signs of protection against dozen-plus flu strains. News Release 2-Mar-2021. https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-03/uon-vss030221.php
3. Search for universal flu vaccine turns to tobacco plants. August 7^th, 2020. by Deann Gayman. https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/search-for-universal-flu-vaccine-turns-to-tobacco-plants/
4. Weaver goes viral on flu, coronavirus for Faculty 101. August 7^th, 2020. by Mary Jane Bruce. https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/weaver-goes-viral-on-flu-coronavirus-for-faculty-101/
5. Getting A Head Start On The Next Pandemic. June 18, 2020, by Jennifer Overkamp. https://nufoundation.org/getting-a-head-start-on-the-next-pandemic/

Recent Publications

• Complete List of Published Work in MyBibliography (60 total): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/myncbi/1Li6-MS2f-hka/bibliography/45979402/public/?sort=date&direction=descending 

  1. Mahima T. Rasquinha, Ninaad Lasrado, Erika Petro-Turnquist, Eric Weaver, Thiagarajan Venkataraman, Daniel Anderson, Uri Laserson, H. Benjamin Larman*, Jay Reddy* 2022 PhIP-Seq reveals autoantibodies for ubiquitously expressed antigens in viral myocarditis. MDPI Biology. https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/11/7/1055
  2. Matthew J Pekarek, Erika M Petro-Turnquist, Adam Rubrum, Richard J 
     Webby, Eric A. Weaver. 2022. Expanding Mouse-Adapted Yamagata-like Influenza B Viruses in Eggs Enhances in vivo Lethality in BALB/c Mice. In Press – MDPI Viruses. https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/6/1299
  3. Petro-Turnquist, E.M.; Bullard, B.L.; Pekarek, M.J.; Weaver, E.A. Adenoviral-Vectored Centralized Consensus Hemagglutinin Vaccine Provides Broad Protection against H2 Influenza a Virus. Vaccines 2022, 10, 926. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10060926
  4. Brianna L Bullard, Jennifer DeBeuchamp, Adam Rubrum, Richard J Webby and Eric A Weaver. 2022. Superior Protection Against Contemporary and Historical H3N2 Influenza Virus Using Epitope-Optimized Epigraph Immunogens. In press – Nature Vaccines. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41541-022-00492-y Available after June 23rd.
  5. Single Cycle Replicating Adenovirus Vectors, MA Barry, E Weaver, US Patent App. 17/671,294, 2022. https://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2022/0170046.html
  6. Bullard BL, Weaver EA. Strategies Targeting Hemagglutinin as a Universal Influenza Vaccine. Vaccines. 2021; 9(3):257. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9030257
  7. Bullard BL, Corder BN, DeBeauchamp J, Rubrum A, Korber B, Webby RJ, Weaver EA.  Epigraph hemagglutinin vaccine induces broad cross-reactive immunity against swine H3 influenza virus. Nat Commun. 2021 Feb 22;12(1):1203. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-21508-6.PMID: 33619277  Featured in >14 news outlets and ranks in the 98^th percentile (ranked 4,154^th) of the 234,137 tracked articles of a similar age in all journals and the 99^th percentile (ranked 1^st) of the 18 tracked articles of a similar age in Nature Communications. Altmetric score: 145.
  8. Methods of making and using universal centralized influenza vaccine genes. EA Weaver. US Patent App. 17/277,426                     2021
  9. Bullard BL, Corder BN, Weaver EA. Species D Adenoviruses as Oncolytic Viral Vectors. Viruses. 2020 Dec 6;12(12). doi: 10.3390/v12121399. PubMed PMID: 33291224.
  10. Corder BN, Bullard BL, Poland GA, Weaver EA. A Decade in Review: A Systematic Review of Universal Influenza Vaccines in Clinical Trials during the 2010 Decade. Viruses. 2020 Oct 20;12(10). doi: 10.3390/v12101186. Review. PubMed PMID: 33092070; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7589362.