Sheila Krishnadath obtained her PhD at Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, where she completed her doctor's training and the preliminary specialisation in gastroenterology. She has been working  as a researcher and gastrointestinal fellow at the AMC-UvA's Gastroenterology and Hepatology department since 2002. In 2005, Krishnadath was appointed to the medical staff as a gastroenterologist and in 2006 as principal investigator for research into translational gastrointestinal oncology.  

Krishnadath's research is conducted in close collaboration with the Mayo Foundation (Minnesota, USA). As a postdoc she also worked at the renowned Mayo Clinic, where she began building the foundation of her ongoing research into biomarkers. In addition to these areas of research, her work has also played a key role in our understanding of the development of oesophageal tumours. Krishnadath has received various research grants for her work, including the European Research Council's (ERC) prestigious Starting Grant in 2011.