Sharon L. Hillier, Ph.D., is a microbiologist whose research has focused on understanding both the preventive and causative roles that certain microorganisms in the vagina have with respect to genital tract infections, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, and pre-term birth; and on the evaluation of topical microbicides for prevention of STIs. At the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Hillier is the Richard Sweet Professor of Reproductive Infectious Disease and vice chair for faculty affairs in the department of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences. In addition, she holds secondary appointments in the department of microbiology and molecular genetics. Dr. Hillier has been recognized twice by the American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association (ASTDA) as the recipient of the ASTDA Achievement Award in 1996 and the Thomas Parran Award in 2009. She served as chair of the NIH Office of AIDS Research (OAR) Advisory Council from 2010-2103, and served on NIH’s AIDS Research Advisory Council from 2016-2019.
