N. Luisa Hiller

N. Luisa Hiller is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University's Mellon College of Science. Her lab investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying bacterial pathogenesis, focusing on Streptococcus pneumoniae's genomic diversity and host interactions. She earned her Ph.D. from Northwestern University Medical School and completed postdoctoral training at the Center for Genomic Sciences at Allegheny-Singer Research Institute.

Her research explores how bacterial strains transition between commensal and pathogenic states, emphasizing genomic plasticity, quorum sensing, and host-pathogen communication. Key areas include understanding strain adaptation during infections and developing strategies to modulate microbial behavior.

Her work has been supported by institutions like the Charles E. Kaufman Foundation and the Wadhwani Foundation. Current projects involve studying bacterial communication networks and developing anti-infective materials targeting quorum sensing systems.