Dr. Michael Weir graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Polymer Science and continued his education at the University of Connecticut with a Ph.D. degree in Polymer Science in 2000. After graduation, he was awarded a National Research Council (NRC) post-doctoral associateship to perform research in the Polymers Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). He then joined the American Dental Association Paffenbarger Research Center (PRC). His research focuses on the development and evaluation of anti-microbial, nano-structured materials for dental repair, Investigation of the cellular response to novel combination materials containing cells, growth factors and biomaterials used for tissue engineering and orthopedic applications as well as their mechanical/physical properties, and Quantification of the release of proteins and growth factors from biomaterials to promote a therapeutic response. He is also a member of the International Association for Dental Research, the American Chemical Society and the Society for Biomaterials.