W. Shafer is Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the School of Medicine of Emory University (Atlanta, Georgia USA) and Senior Research Career Scientist at the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Additionally, he is the Co-director of the Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center. Beginning with his post-doctoral studies at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (1979-1982) under the mentorship of P.F. Sparling MD he has been actively involved in research dealing with the mechanisms by which gonococci resist antimicrobials including classical antibiotics and host-derived compounds. His research has centered on the genetics and molecular biology of resistance systems especially related to how gonococci modulate cell envelope systems that dictate entry and accumulation of antimicrobials. His laboratory has been funded by US federal sources since 1984 for such research, which has resulted in over 200 manuscripts, reviews and book chapters.