Mirei is a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney, based at the Charles Perkins Centre. She studies the multi-disciplinary areas of gut microbiome and eating disorders under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Andrew Holmes, Assoc. Prof. Sarah Maguire and Prof. Stephen Simpson. In particular, her project explores how diet and microbes influence the gut-brain axis in self-directed dieting. Mirei completed dual Bachelors in Science and Arts (2018), followed by Science honours at the University of Queensland (2019). Committed to advancing the integration of gastrointestinal and mental health research, she aspires to make meaningful contributions to the field of biomedical translational science. Outside of research she likes to cook, is an avid MasterChef Aus fan and especially loves learning new recipes of her Japanese heritage.