Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a condition that affects 70, 000 people worldwide. Many CF patients will suffer from a gastric reflux condition that leads to the aspiration of bile into the lungs. Staphylococcus aureus pulmonary infections contribute to accelerated clinical decline and disease morbidity in CF patients. My PhD focuses on whether S. aureus can adopt a chronic lifestyle in the CF lung and if bile affects this process. Understanding the relationship between S. aureus pathogenesis and components of the CF lung environment will hopefully allow for the development of anti-staphylococcal agents to improve CF clinical outcomes.