Cameron Currie is a microbiologist and evolutionary biologist who helps lead the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Antimicrobial Discovery funded by an NIH Center of Excellence in Translational Research (CETR,U19) award. Currie and his lab members study the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of symbiotic associations, with a particular focus on the interactions that occur between insects and microbes and the role of beneficial microbes in mediating infectious diseases through the production of antimicrobials. His research, including extensive work with the charismatic leaf-cutter ants, has potential applications in fields as diverse as bioenergy development and drug discovery.