From working with wild squirrels to discovering unknown G protein-coupled receptor kinases, Ellen Weiss’s research opened new doors for understanding the human eye and retinal degenerative diseases.
In 1990, when Ellen Weiss picked up the phone as a postdoc in Gary Johnson’s lab at the National Jewish Center in Denver, Colorado, she had no clue what the person on the other end of the call was saying. The lab was noisy. People were vortexing things, running gels, and talking loudly. Finally, Weiss made out a few words as the person on the other end of the call said, “Would you like me to transfer you to him now? Do you have the time to speak with him?” Instead of saying, “I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you,” Weiss blindly said yes.
She was transferred to Charles Hackenbrock, the then chair of the Cell Biology and Anatomy Department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH), who was trying to recruit research faculty. Weiss proceeded with the phone interview, the entire time not knowing who she was talking with or where they were calling from until she was transferred back to the receptionist to schedule an in-person interview. “Whoa, was that a bad idea — but it really wasn’t,” said Weiss with a smile. That impromptu decision led to a thirty-five-year-long successful research career as a professor in the Cell Biology and Physiology Department at UNC-CH. On June 30, 2025, Weiss retired.
During her time at UNC-CH, Weiss made several foundational discoveries that influence how researchers study the human eye and vision-related diseases today. “With profound curiosity, deep knowledge, and a cheerful dose of wit and humor, Ellen’s impacts on the research and educational missions of the department and her broader discipline have been inspiring,” said Kathleen Caron, the current department chair of the UNC-CH Cell Biology and Physiology Department.
Cloning a G protein-coupled receptor kinase from wild squirrels
Weiss’s lab was one of the first to clone the G protein-coupled receptor kinase 7 (GRK7). G protein-coupled receptors and their kinases regulate cellular signaling in response to external stimuli in various physiological pathways, including vision, dietary response, and heartbeat. At the beginning of her career, rhodopsin, which functions in rod cells of the eye to detect dim light, was one of the few G protein-coupled receptors that had been sequenced.
“I began by trying to figure out how rhodopsin interacted with its binding partners, but then we became more interested in cone cells,” said Weiss. The retina’s cone cells enable animals to detect color and bright light. Together with Shoji Osawa, her husband and research partner, Weiss began hunting for GRKs in cone cells from the 13-lined ground squirrel, a cone-dominant mammal.
“At the time, these squirrels were mostly pests in the Midwest. People would get these wild animals and send them to researchers who did vision studies,” said Weiss. Working with 13-lined ground squirrels was not easy. They were wild, aggressive animals that would often bite. “One of them even went up the pipes in the chemical hood, and we had to lure it down with food,” said Weiss.
By that time, various research groups had identified six GRKs. When Weiss and Osawa dissected the squirrels’ retinas, they found a seventh undiscovered GRK, which they called GRK7, that was absent from the retinas of mice. This discovery led to the surprising finding that some species have different GRKs in their retinal cones, prompting scientists to rethink which animal models they use to investigate human cone-related diseases. In particular, it helped clarify differences in the pathophysiology between the retinas of patients with Oguchi disease, a night blindness disease, and its mouse model.
Trailblazing eye proteomics and metabolomics studies
Weiss’s lab was also one of the first to apply metabolomics and proteomics to investigate the role of cellular metabolism in neurodegenerative retinal diseases. Using a mouse model for retinitis pigmentosa, a rare eye disease, they investigated changes in cellular metabolism and found a pivotal role for mitochondrial proteins at the peak of retinal rod degeneration. There are almost no treatments for retinal degenerative diseases. “I wanted to study the metabolism of retinal degeneration because my idea and a lot of people’s idea is that we can go back and find some sort of broad-spectrum therapeutic that will work for diseases caused by different genetic mutations,” said Weiss. Her discoveries help lay the foundation for future work in this unresolved area of research.
Making an impact with kindness and humor
Weiss has also used her talents to benefit others globally. She participates in several charities where she crochets toys for children in need. She’s crocheted toy bears for children in sub-Saharan Africa, smaller bears that fit into suitcases for children in Ukraine, and bears for children in impoverished regions across the United States. She’s also crocheted bookmarks and emotional support chickens for a few close friends.
“Ellen’s kindness, compassion, endless curiosity, and sense of humor made working next door to her such a pleasure,” said Natasha Snider, an associate professor in the Cell Biology and Physiology Department, whose lab has neighbored Weiss’s lab for ten years. “Ellen is a fierce advocate for science and a most supportive colleague. I am forever grateful for her friendship and for the time we shared in Cell Biology and Physiology.”
On June 25, Weiss gathered with a few current and retired colleagues. The group shared fun memories and celebrated her many accomplishments as an educator and researcher. For the next generation of scientists, Weiss shared a few words of advice.
“Right now, it is a tough time in the world of research as well as for everyone,” she said. “Do what you can to make it a better place but also focus on your studies because when opportunities come suddenly, you need to be prepared to take advantage of them — even when they come as a random serious call in a loud lab.”