Rate My Professor Gregory Weber

Gregory Weber is an Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Indianapolis, having joined the faculty in 2019. He earned his B.S. from Ursinus College in 2000 and his Ph.D. from Thomas Jefferson University in 2006. Previously, he served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Rutgers University-Newark.

Weber specializes in developmental biology, with research interests encompassing cell adhesion, cytoskeletal organization, mechanotransduction, and cell signaling in vertebrate embryos. His laboratory at UIndy employs Xenopus laevis as a model system to investigate processes such as keratin intermediate filament functions in early development, formation and maturation of desmosomal adhesions, retinoic acid effects on post-embryonic wound healing, and unique dorsal skin patterns for frog identification. He has mentored numerous undergraduate students through honors projects and senior capstones, including studies on genetic linkages between transgenes and albinism, pesticide-induced morphological defects, and hyperadhesive cell-cell contacts.

Weber's scholarly output includes highly cited publications that have advanced understanding of cellular mechanics and development. Key papers are "A mechanoresponsive cadherin-keratin complex directs polarized protrusive behavior and collective cell migration" (Developmental Cell, 2012; 486 citations), "Integrins and cadherins join forces to form adhesive networks" (Journal of Cell Science, 2011; 458 citations), "Mechanical stress-activated integrin α5β1 induces opening of connexin 43 hemichannels" (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2012; 279 citations), "Intermediate filaments at the junction of mechanotransduction, migration, and development" (Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 2017; 202 citations), and "14-3-3 targets keratin intermediate filaments to mechanically couple cell-cell junctions to the nucleus" (Biology Open, 2020). Recent work includes gene expression analysis of Tao kinases in Xenopus tropicalis (2023). His research has had a notable impact on the fields of cell biology and embryology.