Bonnie Bassler

Dr. Bonnie Bassler is the Squibb Professor in Molecular Biology and chair of the molecular biology department at Princeton University as well as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. Her research focuses on molecular mechanisms that bacteria use for intercellular communication; a process called quorum sensing. Her discoveries are paving the way to novel therapies to combat disease-causing bacteria.

Dr. Bassler is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Medicine, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She received a BS in biochemistry from the University of California at Davis, and a PhD in biochemistry from the Johns Hopkins University. She performed postdoctoral work in genetics at the Agouron Institute. She joined the Princeton faculty in 1994.

Dr. Bassler has received numerous prizes including a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, the Shaw Prize in Life Sciences and Medicine, the Dickson Prize in Medicine, the Gruber Genetics Prize, and the Wolf Prize in Chemistry, among others. She also received Princeton’s President’s Award for Distinguished Teaching. She is devoted to diversity in the sciences and educating lay people about the thrill and relevance of scientific research.

Dr. Bassler is a former President of the American Society for Microbiology; former chairperson of the American Academy of Microbiology Board of Governors; and was a member of the National Science Board for six years, nominated to that position by President Barack Obama. The Board oversees the National Science Foundation and prioritizes the nation’s research and educational activities in science, math, and engineering.