Shilva Shrestha

Dr. Shilva Shrestha is an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. She holds a PhD degree in environmental engineering from the University of Michigan, a master’s degree in Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering from the University of Hawaii, and a bachelor’s degree from Kathmandu University, Nepal. Prior to joining Johns Hopkins, she was a postdoctoral researcher at the Joint Bioenergy Institute affiliated at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.

Her research program focuses on engineering microbial communities to upcycle low-value waste into fuels, chemicals, and materials through innovative biotechnologies. Her lab investigates the complex ecological and metabolic interactions that govern microbial community function, with a focus on consortia of industrial and environmental importance. Dr. Shrestha has received several awards, including the NSF CAREER award, the Water Environment Federation Canham Graduate Studies Scholarship, the University of Michigan Integrated Training in Microbial Systems Fellowship, and the University of Michigan Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship.