He is known for his work in the areas of diffusing-wave spectroscopy, microrheology, microfluidics, rheology, fluid mechanics, interface and colloid science, colloid chemistry, biophysics, complex fluids, soft condensed matter physics, phase transitions, the study of glass and amorphous solids, liquid crystals, self-assembly, surface-enhanced light scattering, and diffusion-limited aggregation.
in physics from the University of Waterloo and his PhD in superconductivity from Harvard.
He then worked as a research physicist at Exxon Research and Engineering for nearly 18 years, leading the Interfaces and Inhomogeneous Materials Group and Complex Fluids Area.
In 2016, Weitz was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering for "discoveries of complex fluids, colloids, and emulsions, which have resulted in new products and companies".
[3] Weitz is an active entrepreneur and the founder of many companies, including the microfluidics company RainDance and a desktop DNA sequencer, GnuBio, which was acquired by Biorad.