Dr. Dylan R. Weaver

I was born and raised in western Kentucky, which is just outside of the "Midwest" United States. During my undergraduate years, I have always been fascinated with how things work in the physical world, and I've loved to teach these phenomena to others. Eventually, I decided that I also wanted to teach students tangible skills to use in the research lab, prompting my Ph.D. at Mizzou. While in graduate school, I was drawn to the idea of attempting to use the techniques of physics to tackle interesting questions in biology/biochemistry. The result was becoming the "biophysicist" that I am today!

Currently, I am applying atomic force microscopy (AFM) to study the forces and energetics associated with peptides (short proteins) and lipid membranes, a fundamental interaction in biology. I am also exploring this field computationally, utilizing molecular dynamics (MD) simulations that validate results in the lab! I'm always interested in developing projects that cater to students' interests and skillsets to help them learn and grow.

When I'm not hiding out in the lab, I can usually be found disc golfing, playing board and video games with friends, or singing choral music!