Weiss has more than three decades of experience in journalism and public affairs, including 15 years as a science reporter at the Washington Post and more than a decade leading strategic communications and media relations activities around issues of science and technology in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

While at the Post, Weiss wrote more than 1,000 news and feature articles about advances in science and technology and their economic, societal, and ethical implications. His awards include the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing's Victor Cohn Prize for Excellence in Medical Science Reporting and the National Association of Science Writers' Science in Society Award.

Weiss earned a bachelor's degree in biology from Cornell University and a master's degree in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley, and holds a license in medical technology with the American Society for Clinical Pathology. He lives in Takoma Park, Md., with his wife Natalie Angier, the New York Times science writer and author.

Twitter: @rick_weiss