He received a Ph.D. in biophysics from Harvard University in 1999. Tavazoie uses genomic and computational methods to study the structure, function, and evolution of regulatory networks across organisms ranging from bacteria to humans. He is using his Pioneer Award to study how regulatory networks are shaped by the complex and dynamic environments of native microbial habitats. In particular, his research will explore how such “internal representations” allow single-cell organisms to carry out cognitive tasks typically associated with metazoan nervous systems. Tavazoie’s honors include a CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation.