"Together, her accomplishments underscore sustained, competitive achievement. They attest to her rigor, communication skills, and initiative—qualities that have already translated into immediate, high-impact contributions in scientific settings and beyond." – Erliang Zeng

Hometown: Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India

Faculty mentor/advisor: Erliang Zeng, PhD, MS, BS, associate professor, Division of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, College of Dentistry

Degree program and anticipated graduation date: PhD in human toxicology, Spring 2027

Shri Vishalini Rajaram studies how microscopic communities of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and archaea work together in the mouth to maintain health or trigger tooth decay. Her research uses artificial intelligence and advanced statistical models to uncover patterns in massive datasets, linking the activity of these microscopic organisms with human behavior and environmental factors. These insights aim to identify early warning signs of dental cavities and guide smarter prevention strategies.

“Across projects, I have processed terabytes of data, integrated hundreds of genomes and multi-layer measurements, and moved multiple manuscripts, comic books, and tools toward public release.” says Rajaram. 

Rajaram’s work has earned top research honors and competitive fellowships, including the ACT Scholars Program and American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Future Leaders Mentorship Fellowship. After graduation, she plans to lead a research group that transforms microbiome data into practical screening tools and prevention strategies in an approach that connects human, animal, and environmental health to address complex challenges holistically.