Shreya Arya

About Me

I am a final-year PhD student in Physics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), advised by James O'Dwyer. My research focuses on understanding the structure and dynamics of microbial communities through a combination of theoretical models and computational approaches. I am interested in exploring effective, middle-ground approaches to ecology, connecting mechanistic models of community ecology with large-data assimilation and machine learning techniques. I am also interested in host-associated microbiomes, particularly, the human gut microbiome, and applications of microbial ecology to disease alleviation and climate change mitigation.

Before coming to UIUC for graduate school, I studied Parts II & III in Natural (Physical) Sciences at St. Edmund's College, University of Cambridge, UK. I also hold a B.Sc. (Honors) in Physics from St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi, India.

In the summer of 2024, I was a graduate research intern at Vedanta Biosciences in Cambridge, USA, where I worked with my mentor Rajita Menon to explore ecological dynamics in a large microbial community. This rationally designed community is expected to be employed for the purpose of disease alleviation.

I am actively seeking postdoctoral opportunities in the area of theoretical and computational microbial community ecology for Fall 2025. Please reach out to me regarding any available positions. I am also keen on acquiring wet-lab skills during my postdoctoral training.

A copy of my CV is here (updated March 2025)