Ken Weber, D.C., Ph.D. (`09), is the first chiropractor appointed to the Stanford University faculty
When Ken Weber, D.C., Ph.D. (`09), stepped into his new faculty role at Stanford University this year, it wasn’t just a personal milestone — it was professional history, too. A graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic, Dr. Weber is the first chiropractor to be appointed to the Stanford faculty. This landmark achievement reflects both his passion for research and the progress of the chiropractic profession as a whole.
When Dr. Weber landed on Palmer’s campus in Port Orange as a first-quarter student, he was planning on a clinical career. However, working under faculty like Xiaohua (Shawn) He, M.D, M.S., and Donald Dishman, D.C., M.Sc., the “research bug” quickly took hold. “I kept having questions that didn’t have answers yet,” he remembers. “That was an exciting feeling, and I realized it meant there was work to be done.”
Palmer’s support for student researchers — including through the research honors program — proved pivotal. “Palmer has a legacy leading in chiropractic research,” Dr. Weber says. “They create opportunities for the students who want to take the profession further. That commitment made all the difference for me.”
Driven by a search for answers, Dr. Weber moved from Palmer to a neuroscience Ph.D. program at Northwestern University in Chicago. A postdoctoral fellowship brought him to Stanford in 2016. He launched the Neuromuscular Insight Lab (NILab) there earlier this year.
As for what his Stanford appointment means for the profession, Dr. Weber is quick to credit those who came before him. “I stand on the shoulders of giants — Scott Haldeman, M.D., D.C. (`64), Christine Goertz, D.C., Partap Khalsa, D.C., Joel Pickar, D.C., (`77), and many others — who broke down barriers so someone like me could be here. It shows how far we’ve come.”
Dr. Weber remains closely connected to the chiropractic community and his Palmer family. He’s spoken at Palmer events, has mentored Palmer grads, and is launching a research training program in collaboration with the Veterans Health Administration that would bring chiropractic residents to his Stanford lab.
“My biggest goal is to help future chiropractors reach this path more easily than I did,” he says. “I get emails every week from chiropractors and chiropractic students with questions. I’m here for the profession. Students, practicing chiropractors, and anyone who wants to talk about helping patients and building this profession we all love, please reach out.”
