Michael C. Weiger, Ph.D.

Research Interests

My current research efforts focus on developing methods to measure and study nanoparticle interactions with cell membranes and proteins in order to contribute to a broader goal of assessing nanoparticle impact on biological systems. In later studies, I’ll be working to develop selective probes for detecting cancer markers in order to facilitate cancer identification and high-throughput screening.

Background

I earned my B.S. and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Colorado State University and North Carolina State University, respectively. My Ph.D. advisor was Dr. Jason Haugh, and my thesis research focused on studying fibroblast migration and motility on coated surfaces in the context of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signal transduction pathway. To study both fibroblast movement and PI3K signaling dynamic, I made extensive use of total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy.

Professional and Academic Society Memberships

• American Institute of Chemical Engineering
• American Society of Cell Biology
• Society of Biological Engineering
  

Awards and Recognitions

• NIST NRC Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2008
• Dean’s Fellowship (North Carolina State University), 2002
• Graduated Magna Cum Laude (Colorado State University), 2002
• President’s Scholarship (Colorado State University), 2000, 2001
• Academic Achievement Award (Colorado State University), 1998
• College of Engineering Dean’s List (Colorado State University), 1998, 1999