Mentoring Statement
Teamwork and communication are the engines of meaningful scientific discovery. Breakthroughs happen when curious, motivated students and scientists push one another to think differently, question deeply, and interpret boldly. In both my classroom and my laboratory, I work intentionally to engage, challenge, and inspire students, cultivating an environment where collaboration, inclusiveness, and shared curiosity drive growth.
My experience has shown that grades and test scores rarely predict who becomes an exceptional scientist. The students who truly excel are those who bring curiosity, creativity, and persistence, qualities that shape future educators, researchers, and health professionals. For this reason, a central goal of my mentorship is to demystify the research process. I break it down into its creative core by asking good questions and designing thoughtful experiments, as well as the practical craft of generating and interpreting data. When students begin to see the story their data can tell, they discover the excitement, ownership, and confidence that transform them into independent thinkers and impactful scientists.
Background
Karin Sauer earned a doctorate in microbiology and biochemistry from the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg, Germany and completed postdoctoral fellowships at the Max Planck Institute and the Center for Biofilm Engineering at Montana State University.
Her postdoctoral work with Anne Camper at Montana State University in Bozeman and her subsequent research at 91社区 led to the discovery that surface attachment by Pseudomonas sp. not only coincides with significant changes at the transcript and protein levels, but that subsequent formation of biofilms occurs in a progressive and stage-specific manner, with each stage displaying a distinct phenotype.
Sauer joined the faculty at the Department of Biological Sciences at 91社区 in 2002. She is a Distinguished Professor at the Department of Biological Sciences, co-director of the 91社区 Biofilm Research Center (BBRC), and co-director of the Microbial Biofilm REU program. She is the recipient of the Otto Hahn Medal, the Dean鈥檚 distinguished lectureship, and Chancellor's Awards for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities, and has recently been elected a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology.
Sauer's research group uses the model organism Pseudomonas aeruginosa to elucidate regulatory mechanisms underlying biofilm development, dispersion and antimicrobial resistance. The overall goal of their research is to identify factors that control and manage biofilms and their extraordinary resistance to antimicrobial agents.
Education
- PhD, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology
- MS, BS, Phillipps University of Marburg
Research Interests
- Regulation of biofilm dispersion
- Mechanism of biofilm drug tolerance
- Biofilm control
- Host-pathogen interactions
- Medical device-associated infections
Teaching Interests
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
- Genomics and Proteomics
- Medical device-associated infections
Awards
- VAAM Dissertation Award
- Otto Hahn Medal
- Chancellor鈥檚 Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities
- Elected fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology