Photo of Sandra K. Weller, Ph.D.

Sandra K. Weller, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics
Academic Office Location:
Molecular Biology and Biophysics
UConn Health
263 Farmington Avenue
Farmington, CT 06030-3205
Phone: 860-679-2310
Fax: 860-679-1239
Email: weller@uchc.edu
Website(s):

Molecular Biology & Biochemistry Graduate Program

Education
DegreeInstitutionMajor
B.S.Stanford UniversityBiological Sciences
Ph.D.University of WisconsinMolecular Biology

Post-Graduate Training
TrainingInstitutionSpecialty
PostdoctoralHarvard Medical School Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics

Awards
Name of Award/HonorAwarding Organization
Elected Chair of the Publication Committee of ASBMBASBMB
Past-President of the Connecticut Academy of Science and EngineeringCASE
Elected President of the Association of Medical School Microbiology and Immunology Chairs (AMSMIC)Association of Medical School Microbiology and Immunology Chairs
Woman of Innovation honoree in Research Innovation and LeadershipConnecticut Technology Council
Elected to the Publications Committee of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyASBMB
Appointed to the State of Connecticut Advisory Board for the CT Bioscience Innovation Fund (CBIF)Governor of the State of Connecticut
Elected President of Connecticut Academy of Science and EngineeringConnecticut Academy of Science and Engineering
Elected Vice President and President Elect of the Connecticut Academy of Science and EngineeringConnecticut Academy of Science and Engineering
Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor Award University of Connecticut
Recipient of mentoring awardsRotary Club and Governor’s Partnership for Prevention
Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Fellow 2002-2003Drexel University College of Medicine
Elected Member, American Academy of MicrobiologyAmerican Society of Microbiology
Elected to the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE)Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering
Merit Award 1997-2007NIAID
Stuart Wilson Young Faculty Award University of Connecticut Health Center
Established Investigator Award 1988-1993 American Heart Association
Junior Faculty Research Award 1985-1988 American Cancer Society
Basil O’Connor Research Award 1985-1987 March of Dimes Foundation
Fox Award: Outstanding Undergraduate Major in Biological SciencesStanford University
Cap and Gown Award: Outstanding Junior Student in Biological SciencesStanford University
Name & DescriptionCategoryRoleTypeScopeStart YearEnd Year
Chair of the Publications Committee of the American Society of Molecular Biology and BiochemistryProfessional/Scientific OrganizationChairExternalNational2019
Member of Task Force for ASBMB publicationsAdvisory CommitteememberExternalNational20192021
Member of the executive Committee for the Institute for Systems Genomics (ISG)Advisory CommitteememberUConn-StorrsUniversity2018
Past President of the Connecticut Academy of Science and EngineeringProfessional/Scientific OrganizationPast PresidentExternalState20172019
President Association of Medical School Microbiology and Immunology ChairsProfessional/Scientific OrganizationPresidentExternalNational20162017
Publications Committee of the American Society of Molecular Biology and BiochemistryProfessional/Scientific OrganizationmemberExternalNational2016
President of the Connecticut Academy of Science and EngineeringProfessional/Scientific OrganizationPresidentExternalState20152017
Vice President and President Elect of CASEProfessional/Scientific OrganizationVice President and President ElectExternalState20132015
Deans Advisory Committee (DAC)Advisory CommitteememberUConn HealthUniversity20122019
Scientific Advisory Board Morgridge Institutes Madison, WisconsinAdvisory CommitteeElected ChairExternalUniversity20112016
Search Committee for New Dean of the School of MedicineAdvisory CommitteememberUConn HealthUniversity20112012
Appointed to the UMDNJ-RWJMS Laboratory Research Task ForceOtherAppointed MemberExternalNational20102010
Governing Council of CASEProfessional/Scientific Organizationcouncil memberExternalState20082019
Search Committee for New Dean/VP of the School of MedicineAdvisory CommitteememberUConn HealthUniversity20082009
Ad hoc Committee to review Scientific Misconduct CaseAdvisory CommitteeChairUConn HealthUniversity20082009
Member NIH Study Section, VirA Study SectionMemberExternalNational20062010
Elected to of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE)Professional/Scientific OrganizationCouncilorExternalState2003
Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Fellow (ELAM)Professional/Scientific OrganizationFellowExternalNational20022003
Elected Member of the American Academy of MicrobiologyProfessional/Scientific OrganizationMemberExternalNational2001
Member Infectious Disease Merit Review Panel – Veterans AdministrationProfessional/Scientific OrganizationReview Panel MemberExternalNational20012004
Elected Member of Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE)Professional/Scientific OrganizationMemberExternalState1999
Division Chair American Society of Microbiology Professional/Scientific JournalDivision Chair for DNA virusesExternalNational19981999
Journal of VirologyEditorial BoardEditorial BoardExternalNational1996
Connecticut Virology ClubProfessional/Scientific OrganizationFounder and organizerExternalState19952006
NIH Study Section, Experimental Virology Study SectionMemberExternalNational19931997
Association of Medical School Microbiology and Immunology Chairs Professional/Scientific OrganizationMemberExternalNational
American Society for Microbiology (ASM)Professional/Scientific JournalMemberExternalNational
Association of Medical and Graduate Departments of Biochemistry (AMGDB)Professional/Scientific OrganizationMemberExternalNational
American Society for Virology (ASV)Professional/Scientific OrganizationMemberExternalNational
American Association of University Women (AAUW)OtherMemberExternalNational
Association for Women in Science (AWIS)Professional/Scientific OrganizationMemberExternalNational
The Society for Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (SELAM)Professional/Scientific OrganizationMemberExternalNational
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASMBM)Professional/Scientific JournalMemberExternalNational

HSV-1 and -2 are large DNA virus which are responsible for oral and genital infections, sight-threatening ocular infections and brain infections which can be life threatening. Our laboratory uses genetic, biochemical, biophysical, structural and molecular approaches to elucidate mechanisms of synthesis, maturation and cleavage and packaging of viral genomes. One of our goals is to identify antiviral targets which can be exploited to develop strategies for controlling viral infections. Projects in the lab are diverse and include virus-host interactions important for the formation of replication compartments within the nucleus of infected cells; structure function analysis of two viral helicases; structure-function analysis of the zinc binding domain of the HSV-1 primase; analysis of the role of recombination in viral DNA replication and genome maturation and the analysis of the machinery involved in cleavage and packaging of viral genomes into preformed procapsids. Important recent discoveries include:


The identification and characterization of a novel viral recombinase.
The realization that host cell recombination and repair proteins are involved in HSV DNA synthesis.
The discovery that host chaperones are rearranged in infected cells into foci which act as quality control mechanisms for the production of properly folded proteins.
The finding that the initiation helicase-origin binding protein UL9 is degraded during infection in a ubiquitin mediated pathway.
The further characterization of the interdependence of the helicase and primase subunits with each other.

Not accepting students for Lab Rotations at this time

Journal Articles

Books

  • Weller SK (Editor) AlphaHerpesviruses: Molecular Virology 2011 Jan;

Book Chapters

  • HSV-1 DNA Replication
    Ward, SA, Weller SK Alphaherpesviruses: Molecular Virology 2011 Jan;89-112
  • Interactions between HSV-1 and the DNA damage response
    Weitzman M, Weller SK Alphaherpesviruses: Molecular Virology 2011 Jan;257-268
  • Interaction of Marek's disease virus oncoprotein Meq with heat-shock protein 70 in lymphoid tumour cells.
    Zhao, Yuguang; Kurian, Dominic; Xu, Hongtao; Petherbridge, Lawrence; Smith, Lorraine P; Hunt, Lawrence; Nair, Venugopal The Journal of general virology 2009 Sep;90(Pt 9):2201-8
  • Herpesvirus DNA Replication
    Weller SK Viral Genome Replication 2009 Jan;
  • New HSV replication targets
    Weller SK Antiviral Therapy 2008 Jan;
  • Herpesvirus DNA replication
    Coen DM, Weller SK Eukaryotic DNA Replication and Human Disease 2006 Jan;
  • HSV-1 DNA Replication
    Weller SK Alpha Herpesviruses: Pathogenesis, Molecular Biology and Infection Control 2006 Jan;
  • Cleavage and Packaging of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 DNA
    Baines JD, Weller SK Virus packaging 2004 Jan;
  • DNA Virus replication
    Weller SK Toply and Wilson’s Microbiology and Microbial Infections:Virology Vols 1 and 2 2004 Jan;
  • Herpes simplex virus DNA replication and genome maturation
    Weller SK Implications of the DNA provirus: Howard Temin's Scientific Legacy 1995 Jan;189-213
  • Genetic Analysis of HSV Genes Required for Genome Replication
    Weller SK Herpesvirus transcription and its regulation 1990 Jan;105-135

Reviews

Title or AbstractTypeSponsor/EventDate/YearLocation
Viral Nucleases as novel antiviral targets: From Herpes to CoronavirusesPlenary LectureNESS2020Virtual