Igor Weber

Igor Weber is a Professor and Head of the Laboratory of Cell Dynamics at the Ruđer Bošković Institute's Division of Molecular Biology in Zagreb, Croatia. With a PhD in Biophysics from Technische Universität München (1995), an MSc in Biophysics from Zagreb University (1992), and a BSc in Physics from Zagreb University's Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (1988), Dr. Weber has established himself as a leading researcher in cell biology and biophysics.

Dr. Weber's primary research focuses on cell motility, cytoskeleton dynamics, biophotonics and bioimaging, small GTPases, and cell signaling, using Dictyostelium discoideum as a model organism. His work has significantly advanced our understanding of how the actin cytoskeleton is regulated during cell migration and endocytosis. He has pioneered techniques for visualizing and quantifying GTPase activity in living cells, particularly focusing on Rac1 dynamics and its role in establishing cell polarity. Dr. Weber's laboratory has made groundbreaking contributions to understanding IQGAP-related proteins and their dual roles in regulating actin dynamics through both effector and sequestrator mechanisms with small GTPases.

Analysis of Dr. Weber's recent publications reveals a strong focus on the molecular mechanisms of cell motility and endocytosis, with particular emphasis on the regulation of small GTPases like Rac1 and Ras. His work bridges biophysics, cell biology, and computational modeling, as evidenced by his studies on oscillatory dynamics of Rac1 activity and mathematical modeling of cell migration. The research spans from fundamental molecular mechanisms to potential biomedical applications, including studies on DNA damage response, cancer cell migration, and development of novel imaging probes.

Dr. Weber has successfully secured multiple research grants including the current Croatian Science Foundation project (IP-2024-05) on dissecting Rac1 isoform redundancy in Dictyostelium, and the Croatian-Swiss Research Program (CSRP 2017-2023) on phagocytosis and macropinocytosis. As an educator, he teaches courses on Cytoskeleton and Cell Motility at the University of Zagreb, Cell Biophysics at the University of Split, and Advanced Light Microscopy at the University of Zagreb.

• Professional Leadership:
  • President of Croatian Microscopy Society (2012-2016)
  • Member of Executive Board, European Microscopy Society (2016-2025)
  • President of Croatian Society for Theoretical and Mathematical Biology (2005-2006)

Dr. Weber's laboratory serves as a hub for advanced microscopy techniques and cell dynamics research in Croatia. He has organized multiple international microscopy conferences including the Multinational Congress on Microscopy and European Light Microscopy Initiative meetings. His collaborative network spans internationally, with significant collaborations with Pierre Cosson at the University of Geneva and other European research groups.