Leya Susan Viju

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Leya Susan Viju is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Animal Science at the University of Connecticut. She holds a PhD in Animal Science with a focus on food microbiology and safety from UConn, along with an MS from UConn and a DVM from Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University. Her research addresses pre- and post-harvest control of foodborne pathogens in poultry, including Salmonella Enteritidis and Campylobacter jejuni, combining in vivo trials, molecular assays, and proteomics; her dissertation evaluated the phytochemical linalool as a practical intervention to reduce pathogen colonization in broiler chickens. She has authored peer-reviewed publications and book chapters on poultry food safety and antimicrobial resistance and has presented her work at national and international conferences, including the Poultry Science Association Annual Meeting and the International Association for Food Protection. Her teaching and mentoring span undergraduate and graduate instruction in animal science, food safety, and One Health, and she is active in the Poultry Science Association, IAFP, and Phi Tau Sigma.

Education

  • Ph.D., Animal Science, University of Connecticut, 2025
  • M.S., Animal Science, University of Connecticut, 2024
  • D.V.M., Veterinary Science, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Science University, 2020

    Research Areas / Expertise

    • Food Safety
    • Food Microbiology
    • One Health
    • Poultry Science
    • Antimicrobial Resistance

    Selected Publications

    1. Viju, L. S., Joseph, D., Kosuri, V. V. P. R., Balasubramanian, B., Allen, J., Zhu, C., Shah, T., Walunj, A., Pellissery, A. J., Mishra, N., Maas, K., & Venkitanarayanan, K. (2026). Prophylactic efficacy of in-feed supplementation of linalool for reducing Salmonella Enteritidis colonization in broiler chickens. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 10, 1747665. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2026.1747665
    2. Viju, L. S., Joseph, D., Vinayamohan, P. G., & Venkitanarayanan, K. (2026). Investigating the Prophylactic Efficacy of Linalool to Control Campylobacter jejuni in Broiler Chickens. Poultry, 5(1), 7. https://doi.org/10.3390/poultry5010007
    3. Vinayamohan, P., Viju, L. S., Pellissery, A. J., Surendran Nair, M., Donoghue, A. M., & Venkitanarayanan, K. Evaluation of plant-based antimicrobials in controlling antimicrobial resistance gene spread in poultry production continuum. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 13, 1837338.
    4. Joseph, D., Viju, L. S., Vinayamohan, P. G., Pellissery, A. J., & Venkitanarayanan, K. (2026). Efficacy of Cannabidiol in Reducing Virulence of Listeria monocytogenes. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 27(6), 2682. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27062682
    5. Vinayamohan, P. G., Viju, L. S., Joseph, D., & Venkitanarayanan, K. (2025). Chapter 20 – Antimicrobial Packaging for Poultry. In Antimicrobial Food Packaging (Second Edition, pp. 335–354). Elsevier Inc. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-90747-7.00021-1

    Selected Awards and Honors

    • Research Excellence Award-Food Microbiology and Safety Division, Poultry Science Association (2025)
    • Outstanding Graduate Student Award, University of Connecticut Department of Animal Science (2025)

      Outreach and Service

      Leya Susan Viju has held leadership roles across several professional societies, including Chair of the Education and Career Development Committee for the PSA Hatchery, University Liaison for the Poultry Science Association at UConn, and member of the Chapter Affairs and Mentorship Subcommittee of Phi Tau Sigma. She previously served as Vice President of the Animal Science Graduate Association and Secretary of the Institute of Food Technologists Student Association. Through extension, she helped organize a three-day HACCP training in poultry processing for farmers at the Tolland County Extension Center, has presented research to extension audiences, and writes interpretive research summaries for the Poultry Science Association Hatchery. She also judges food safety and microbiology projects at regional science fairs.

      Professional Profiles

      Leya Viju
      Contact Information
      Emailleya.viju@uconn.edu