Valerie Weaver, PhD
Dr. Weaver is a professor in the Department of Surgery and the director of the Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration. Her research focuses on the contribution of force, cell-intrinsic as well as extracellular matrix, to oncogenesis and tumor development. Dr. Weaver and her lab employ 2- and 3-D in-vitro cell culture techniques, clinical samples and animal models with force application techniques, traction force and atomic force microscopy to assess the influence of the mechanical aspects of the cell environment on cell behavior and tumor progression.
Dr. Weaver earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry/Chemistry at the University of Waterloo in 1985, and added an Honors Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, summa cum laude, from the University of Ottawa. She earned her doctorate degree in Biochemistry from the University of Ottawa in 1992.