Following her initial research on stem cell micro environments, Dr. Weston achieved key successes in work on mechanisms of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) efficacy, leading to her appointment by Vivex Biomedical as Product Development Scientist at the UM Tissue Bank. Here she expanded her interest in the mechanisms of allograft healing in healthy and damaged environments. As a result of highly effective products and multiple patents resulting from team leadership in product development and validation, she was promoted to Principal Research Scientist. These studies honed Dr. Weston’s research objectives to focus on exosome activity and cargo, and she was offered the opportunity to conduct her research at the very impressive, well-equipped Cell Therapy Institute at Nova Southeastern University.

Dr. Weston has enjoyed collaborations with world-renowned surgeons, talented immunotherapy researchers and several research groups from the Karolinska Institutet in the development of clinically applicable exosome isolation for determination of cancer biomarkers. Dr. Weston’s interest in exosomal cargo as related to disease states has become the fundamental basis of her studies. She is currently involved in research investigating the involvement of microvesicles and microenvironment in cancer initiation and progression.

KEY EXPERTISE AREAS

• Muscle regeneration following spinal cord injury, muscle development in sub-ideal conditions, bone development and bone regeneration
• Mechanisms of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) efficacy
• Mechanisms of allograft healing in healthy and damaged environments
• Exosome activity and cargo
• Hematopoietic stem cell self-renewal characteristics in response to microenviromental factors including chemotherapy and radiation
• Microvesicles and microenvironment in cancer initiation and progression