Sandra K. Weller, PhD
Chief Strategy Officer Biology
Email
Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor and Chair 2003 - present
Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics
University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington
Management of QMD research portfilio.
Dr. Weller has broad experience in molecular genetics, biochemistry and cell biology, with a focus on identifying molecular targets relevant to disease. Her considerable experience in multidisciplinary research development includes promotion of academic translational drug discovery efforts.
She has established a highly successful research group in molecular virology and virus-host interactions at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, with 32 years of continuous research support totaling over $13 million in state, industry and federal support, and has one patent granted and over 100 peer-reviewed publications.
Her energetic style and collaborative leadership abilities have earned her international respect. She has led efforts to integrate strengths in clinical medicine, bioinformatics, molecular biology, biochemistry, biophysics, structural biology and medicinal chemistry to enable new discoveries in the clinical and basic sciences. This effort resulted in a $10 million state funded partnership between the University of Connecticut and Yale University, known as the Program in Innovative Therapeutics for CT's Health, or PITCH, which aims to translate basic science discoveries into therapeutic strategies that can be used to promote human health.
Leadership Roles
Past President of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering supporting STEM education and public outreach.
Past President of the Association of Medical School Microbiology and Immuology Chairs (AMSMIC), dedicated to promoting, advancing and supporting the educational and scientific endeavors inthe fields of microbiology and immunology.
Organized over a dozen national and international conferences (ASM, FASEB, Keystone, AMSMIC) as well a regional conferences to bring scientists together to promote interdisciplinary efforts in research and public outreach.
Elected to the Publications Committee of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Boilogy (ASBMB)
In the News
UCONN Health - The PULSE Issue 25
Interview by Vincent Racaniello, of the This Week in Virology podcast for MICROBE TV
Previous Academic and Professional Appointments
Sabbatical in the Department of Chemical and Systems Biology 2010-2011
Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
Interim Chair, Department of Microbiology 2002-2003
University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT
Professor with tenure, Department of Microbiology 1996-present
University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT
Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology 1984-1989
Education and Training
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics 1981-1984
Harvard Medical School at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Supervisor: Priscilla A. Schaffer
Ph.D., Molecular Biology 1980
University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
Supervisor: Howard M. Temin (Nobel Laureate, 1975)
B.S. Biological Sciences with Honors and Distinction 1974
Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Awards and Honors
- Cap and Gown Award; Outstanding Junior Student in Biological Sciences, Stanford University, 1973
- Fox Award; Outstanding Undergraduate Major in Biological Sciences, Stanford University, 1974
- Basil O'Connor Research Award, March of Dimes, 1985-1987
- Junior Faculty Research Award, American Cancer Society, 1985-1988
- Estabilshed Investigator Award, American Heart Association, 1988-1993
- Stuart Wilson Young Faculty Award, University of Connecticut Health Center, 1988
- Merit Award, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, 1997-2007
- Elected Member, Connecticute Academy of Science and Engineering, 1999-present
- Elected Member, American Academy of Microbiology, 2001-present
- Fellow, Hedwig Van Ameringen Excutive Leadership in Academic Medicine Program for Women (ELAM), 2002-2003
- Recipient of Mentoring Awards, Rotary Club and Governor's Partnership for Prevention, 2006
- University of Connecticut Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor Award, 2007
- Past president Connecticut Academy of Science andEngineering (CASE), 2015-2016
- President the Association of Medical School Microbiology and Immunology Chairs (AMSMIC), 2016-2017
- Named by the Connecticut Technology Council as a 2016 Women of Innovation® honoree in the Research Innovation and Leadership, 2016
- Elected to the Publications Committee of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), 2016
Bibliography Link 1
Bibliography Link 2
List of publications.
Seminars Link
List of seminars. conferences, symposia
Patents
United States Patent Awarded: Weller, S., Myers, R., Reuven, N. Viral Recombinases, Related Articles, and Methods of Use Therof. Patent Number 7,135,324 Date 11/14/2006