Research interest: Quorum sensing is the cell-cell communication process that bacteria use to assess the cell density and species composition of the local environment and coordinate collective behaviors. One quorum-sensing-controlled behavior is the development of spatially-structured, surface-attached bacterial communities called biofilms. Recent work from Bassler’s group has enabled imaging and tracking of individual bacterial cells in biofilms, revealing that cells can exhibit distinct, regional patterns of behaviors within biofilms. My overarching research goal is to define the molecular mechanisms driving these spatial heterogeneities, using the global pathogen and notorious biofilm former V. cholerae as my model. Using a combination of microscopy and genetics, I aim to understand how gradients of quorum-sensing autoinducers within biofilms establish regional patterns of gene expression that, in turn, dictate the biofilm architectural features.