Sharon Hillier received a Bachelor of Science and a PhD in Bacteriology and Public Health from Washington State University in 1982 and served on the faculty of the University of Washington until 1995. She is the Richard Sweet Professor in the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine with appointments in Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Sciences and Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. She also serves as Deputy Director of the Magee-Womens Research Institute.