Staff information

Biography

Dr. Weller is a Senior Program Manager in the Biological Sciences Division at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Dr. Weller is involved in the development and deployment of innovative biomedical technologies. His primary focus is on diagnostic and therapeutic technologies. He received his doctorate in veterinary medicine from Washington State University and joined Battelle in 1980. Dr. Weller has a broad background in treatment planning, infectious diseases, radiation biology, biomarkers, and comparative oncology. He has over 20 years experience developing animal models for biomedical applications. For six years he served as Principle Investigator for a United States Agency for International Development malaria vaccine project that utilized several species of neotropical primates. Dr. Weller serves as Head of Battelle's World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Reference and Training in Clinical Pathology of Neotropical Primates. Since 1996 he has provided technical assistance to the Department of Energy (DOE) and U.S. Interagency Working Group (IWG) on matters related to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), in particular, disease surveillance, unusual disease outbreaks, zoonoses, biosecurity, animal and plant diseases, and DOE biotechnology assets. Dr. Weller served as the technical advisor to the U. S. delegation to the Ad Hoc Group of States Parties to the BTWC meeting in Geneva, Switzerland to craft a legally binding instrument to strengthen the BTWC, and served in the same capacity during the Fifth and Sixth Review Conferences of the Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction. He continues to provide technical expertise to the DOE and IWG as a member of U.S. delegations to BTWC experts group and intercessional meetings in Geneva and foreign capitals. Dr. Weller is also project manager for a biological weapons related regional security project in Central Asia, and regularly consults with CTR/DTRA and the Department of State to help coordinate BW nonproliferation programs in the Former Soviet Union. He also serves as Deputy Program Manager for the DOE Initiatives for Proliferation Program at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory where he is responsible for a biotechnology/biomedical portfolio containing over 10 projects involving many former WMD (CW/BW) scientists in the Russia Federation, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Tajikistan and Armenia. Dr. Weller supports DOE's International Nonproliferation Export Control Progam as an instructor and subject-matter-expert on biological weapons. He is board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in Internal Medicine (1980) and Oncology (1987), and holds adjunct faculty positions in the College of Veterinary Medicine at both Washington State University and Tuskegee University, an honorary professorship at the Institute of Veterinary Medicine in Kyiv, Ukraine and is a lecturer at the University of Washington's Jackson School for International Studies on weapons of mass destruction (WMD) detection and proliferation. Dr. Weller has authored or co-authored over 250 unclassified and classified articles, technical reports, book chapters, and presentations in his fields of expertise.

Research Interests

• Development and deployment of innovative biomedical technologies
• Diagnostic and therapeutic technologies
• Biosecurity
• Infectious diseases
• Radiation biology
• Biomarkers
• Comparative oncology

Education and Credentials

• B.S. Fisheries Biology, University of Washington, 1969
• D.V.M. Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, 1973
• Diplomate, Internal Medicine, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 1981
• Charter Diplomate, Veterinary Medical Oncology, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 1987

Affiliations and Professional Service

• Chairperson, Board of Regents, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 2000-2001
• President, Board of Regents, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 1999-2000
• President-elect, Board of Regents, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 1998-1999
• Vice-president, Board of Regents, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 1997-1998

Awards and Recognitions

• Alumnus of the Year, Yakima Valley Community College, 1999
• Past President, Specialty of Oncology, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 1987-1990
• Board of Regents, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 1987-1990
• Member and Co-chair of Oncology Specialty Examination
• Committee, 1991-1994
• Past President, Yakima Valley Veterinary Medical Association
• Past Trustee, The Foundation for Veterinary Medical Research of Washington
• Member, Veterinary Cancer Society; Charter Member, 1974
• Member-at-Large, 1982-1984; Chairperson, Committee on Specialization, 1985; Treasurer, 1984 to 2000
• Member, American Veterinary Medical Association
• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
• Member, Society of Phi Zeta, Veterinary scholastic honorary
• Biographee, Marquis Who’s Who in Frontiers of Science and Technology, 2nd Edition

PNNL Publications

2012

• Park JF, CR Watson, R Buschbom, G Dagle, DJ Strom, and RE Weller. 2012. "Biological Effects of Inhaled 239PuO2 In Beagle." Radiation Research 178(5):447-467.  doi:10.1667/RR2504.1

2011

• Taub FE, and RE Weller. 2011. Proline-Rich Polypeptide 1 and GX-NH2: Molecular and Genetic Mechanisms of Hematopoiesis Regulation. PNNL-20733, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA. 

2010

• Weller RE, RL Burbank, and HA Mahy. 2010. Outreach and Education in the Life Sciences A Case Study of the U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratories. PNNL-19237, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA. 
• Fisher DR, and RE Weller. 2010. "Carcinogenesis From Inhaled (PuO2)-Pu-239 in Beagles: Evidence for Radiation Homeostasis at Low Doses?" Health Physics 99(3):357-362. 

2009

• Gozalo AS, HF Rosenberg, WR Elkins, EJ Montoya, and RE Weller. 2009. "Multisystemic Eosinophilia Resembling Hypereosinophilic Syndrome in a Colony-bred Owl monkey (Aotus vociferans)." Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science 48(3):303-306. 

2008

• Burbank RL, L John, HA Mahy, SW Rose, RE Weller, and A Nelson-Wally. 2008. Education and Outreach in the Life Sciences: Crosswalk Analysis Report: Survey and Focus Group Findings . PNNL-18152, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA. 
• Burbank RL, L John, HA Mahy, SW Rose, RE Weller, and A Nelson-Wally. 2008. Education and Outreach in the Life Sciences: Quantitative Analysis Report . PNNL-18154, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA. 
• Burbank RL, L John, HA Mahy, SW Rose, RE Weller, and A Nelson-Wally. 2008. Education and Outreach in the Life Sciences: Qualitative Analysis Report . PNNL-18155, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA. 
• Gozalo AS, A Chavera, EJ Montoya, J Takano, and RE Weller. 2008. "Relationship of creatine kinase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, and proteinuria to cardiomyopathy in the owl monkey (Aotus vociferans)." Journal of Medical Primatology 37 Suppl 1:29-38. 
• Gozalo AS, EJ Montoya, and RE Weller. 2008. "Dyscoria associated with herpesvirus infection in owl monkeys (Aotus nancymae)." Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science 47(4):68-71. 

2006

• Weller RE. 2006. "Risk of Disease Spread through Bioterrorism." Veterinaria Italiana 42(4):351-367. 

2004

• Malaga CA, RE Weller, JR Broderson, and AS Gozalo. 2004. "Tuberculosis-like lesions arising from the use of Freund's complete adjuvant in an owl monkey (Aotus sp)." Journal of Medical Primatology 33(2):109-112. 

2002

• Gozalo AS, G Dagle, EJ Montoya, and RE Weller. 2002. " Spontaneous terminal ileitis resembling Crohns's disease in captive tamarins." Journal of Medical Primatology 31(3):142-146. 

2000

• Weller RE. 2000. "Epidemiology, Etiology, and Public Health." In Veterinary Oncology Secrets, ed. Rosenthal, RC, pp. 1-4.  Hanley & Belfus, Philadelphia, PA. 
• Weller RE. 2000. "Tumor Markers." In Veterinary Oncology Secrets, ed. Rosenthal, RC, pp. 51-54.  Hanley & Belfus, Philadelphia, PA. 
• Wilson TM, L Logan-Henfrey, RE Weller, and B Kellman. 2000. "Agroterrorism, Biological Crimes, and Biological Warfare Targeting Animal Agriculture." In Emerging Diseases of Animals, ed. C. Brown and C. Bolin, pp. 23-57.  ASM Press, Washington, DC. 

1999

• Weller RE, C Lyu, CL Wolters, and RM Atlas. 1999. "Universities and the biological and toxin weapons convention." ASM News 65:403-408. 
• Atlas RM, and RE Weller. 1999. "Academe and the Threat of Biological Terrorism." The Chronicle of Higher Education 45(49):B6. 
• Ragan HA, and RE Weller. 1999. "Markers of Renal Function and Injury." In The Clinical Chemistry of Laboratory Animals, ed. W. F. Loeb and F. W. Quimby, pp. 519-548.  Taylor & Francis, Philadelphia, PA.