Neuroscientist Adam Weaver, who was an assistant professor at Xavier University of Louisiana from 2007 to 2009, joined the Saint Michael's College faculty this semester and has been teaching comparative vertebrate anatomy. He will teach neurobiology and other courses in the biology department in the fall.
“I’ve always wanted to be at a well-respected liberal arts college, where research and teaching are both expected and supported,” Professor Weaver said. “Saint Michael’s is a perfect fit.”
Dr. Weaver earned bachelor’s degrees from the University of Delaware in biology and psychology, and his doctorate in neuroscience from Ohio University in 2002. He was a postdoctoral fellow in biology at Emory University from 2002 to 2004, and a postdoctoral fellow in otolaryngology at the University of Washington from 2005 to 2007. He has published seven refereed journal articles and 12 abstracts, and has given a number of invited talks and 12 research presentations at professional conferences.
“I feel my values are fully supported and in sync with this institution,” Dr. Weaver said. He is already working with two students on independent summer research projects in neuroscience. Dr. Weaver is continuing his research on small motor networks that do critical behaviors, “central pattern generators,” for functions like walking, talking, breathing, and more. He has given a number of invited talks on “Life-Sustaining Rhythm: Ebb and Flow in the Leech Heartbeat System,” which is an area of research he will continue with his students at Saint Michael's College.
Dr. Weaver has done extensive university and academic service at the institutions where he has been a teacher, post-doc, and graduate student, including working on the Minority Student Bioscience Experience Committee at the University of Washington.