Helen E. Blackwell

Helen Blackwell is the Norman C. Craig Professor of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She works at the interface of organic chemistry and bacteriology, unraveling the roles of bacterial cell-to-cell communication in disease and the environment. Blackwell's research centers on the role chemical signals play in quorum sensing - helping bacteria communicate and act as a group.

Blackwell's lab is focused on designing and synthesizing novel chemical tools to decode and interfere with the communication, hoping to influence them to fight infections, disrupt bacterial colonies, and encourage desired microbial behaviors. The work to understand the mechanisms of bacterial quorum sensing and modulate bacterial behavior is rooted in Blackwell's commitment to interdisciplinary research.

Blackwell received a B.A. in Chemistry from Oberlin College and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the California Institute of Technology.