Heema Vyas

Heema Vyas

The University of Sydney

Dr Heema Vyas completed her PhD at the University of Wollongong in 2021. Her thesis, titled "The Role of Pharyngeal Cell Surface Glycans in Group A Streptococcus Biofilm Formation", investigated host-pathogen interactions, focusing on how pharyngeal cell surface glycans influence the biofilm formation of Group A Streptococcus and its implications for antibiotic treatment. Shortly after earning her PhD, Heema took on a Post-Doctoral Research position at the University of Sydney (Faculty of Engineering, 2021-2024). In this role, she worked as part of a multidisciplinary team of microbiologists, engineers, and industry partners to explore the anti-biofilm properties of plasma-activated water (PAW), a novel technology utilising plasma, the fourth state of matter. Heema has elucidated several mechanisms by which PAW eradicates biofilms and demonstrated its potential applications across various sectors, including biomedical and food industries. Recently, Heema has commenced a new Post-Doctoral Research role at the University of Adelaide (July, 2024) in the team led by Dr Katharina Richter. Here, Heema continues her research in the PAW-biofilm space. In addition to her research, Heema is dedicated to advancing the field of microbiology and biofilms, which has led her to establish and lead the Biofilm Special Interest Group within the Australian Society for Microbiology.

All Sessions by Heema Vyas