Keith Weninger

Keith Weninger is an Associate Department Head and Professor of Physics at North Carolina State University (NC State), holding the title of University Faculty Scholar. He leads the Weninger Group, focusing on biophysical research using single-molecule fluorescence techniques. His work explores biomolecular systems, including DNA mismatch repair mechanisms, intrinsically disordered proteins, and membrane fusion processes.

Weninger earned his PhD in Physics from UCLA (1997), followed by postdoctoral research at UCLA and Stanford University. He joined NC State in 2004. His research emphasizes single-molecule FRET to study protein dynamics, collaborating with institutions like UNC-Chapel Hill and Stony Brook University. Key projects include analyzing DNA repair pathways linked to cancer and developing nanophotonic tools for biosensing.

His honors include the prestigious University Faculty Scholar designation at NC State. Research interests span neuroscience (SNARE proteins in neurotransmitter release), instrumentation development, and probing conformational changes in disordered proteins implicated in diseases like prostate cancer. The lab also investigates trinucleotide repeat expansion diseases via nucleic acid hairpin studies.

Publications highlight interdisciplinary advances, from protein universe evolution to benchmarking FRET analysis tools. Collaborations drive innovation in both biological and technological domains, integrating experimental and computational methods.