"Microbial Biofilms in Nature and Disease"

Keynote Lecture
by 2009 New York University College of
Dentistry Distinguished Scientist

J. William Costerton, Ph.D.
Director, Microbial Research,
Department of Orthopedics Director,
Biofilm Research Center for Genomic Sciences Allegheny-Singer Research Institute

Dr. J. William (Bill) Costerton was raised and educated in Canada, where he taught at McGill and at the University of Calgary. His scientific contributions have been recognized by the award of a D.Sc. (honoris causa) by the University of Guelph, the award of the prestigious Killam Prize, and his election to the Life Sciences Division of the Royal Society of Canada. Bill has published more than 600 papers in refereed journals, he is generally credited with the discovery that bacteria live predominantly in communities called "biofilms", and is regarded by many as the founder of the new field of Biofilm Microbiology. Bill immigrated to the US in 1993 to become Director of the world leading Center for Biofilm Engineering at Montana State University. In 2004, he established the Center for Biofilms in the School of Dentistry at the University of Southern California. He recently moved to Pittsburgh to his current position with Allegheny-Singer Research Institute.