David R Weaver

David R Weaver is a Professor of Neurobiology at UMass Chan Medical School's T.H. Chan School of Medicine, where he has held a faculty position since 2006. He also holds appointments in the NeuroNexus Institute, MD/PhD Program, Neuroscience Department, and Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program at the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Prior to joining UMass, Weaver served as Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School (1994-2001) and Massachusetts General Hospital (1993-2001), and held progressively senior positions from Assistant Professor to Instructor to Postdoctoral Research Fellow.

• B.S., Zoology, Michigan State University (1981)
• Ph.D., Zoology & Neuroscience, Michigan State University (1985)
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Massachusetts General Hospital (1985-1987)
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Harvard Medical School (1985-1987)

Weaver's research program focuses on the molecular physiology of circadian rhythms, specifically investigating the molecular mechanisms for circadian rhythmicity and the impact of circadian rhythms on physiology and behavior. His laboratory studies how the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) functions as the principal circadian pacemaker in mammals, examining the transcriptional-translational feedback loops that generate circadian rhythms. Current projects include studying behavioral and molecular phenotypes of mice with genetic defects altering circadian behavior, identifying effects of clock gene mutations on physiological processes, and understanding the importance of local oscillators in tissues outside the brain.

Analysis of Weaver's publication history reveals a sustained focus on circadian biology spanning more than three decades, with recent work expanding into connections between circadian rhythms and neurodegenerative processes, metabolic regulation, and host-pathogen interactions. His most cited works examine the molecular components of the circadian clock, melatonin receptor signaling, and the role of clock genes in various physiological systems.

Weaver has served as Director of the Graduate Program in Neuroscience at UMass Chan Medical School since 2005, mentoring numerous students through the program. His research has been supported by various grants focused on circadian biology, though specific funding details aren't provided in the available information.

His laboratory is part of the NeuroNexus Institute, which appears to be a collaborative research environment focused on neuroscience at UMass Chan Medical School, facilitating interdisciplinary work on circadian rhythms and their implications for health and disease.