Faculty Directory

Name	Areas of Interest	Email
George Annor Ph.D., Assistant Professor , General Mills Endowed Professor in Cereal Chemistry and Technology	Non-thermal modifications of cereals and cereal products Cereal grain quality and functionality Ingredient interactions in cereals (Starch-protein-lipid interactions) Starch structure and digestibility Gluten/Proteins β-glucan functionality Phenolics/Antioxidants	[email protected]
Steven Bowden Ph.D., Assistant Professor	Genetic characterization of foodborne pathogens in foods and food environments. Biological control of foodborne pathogens using intrinsic microorganisms to exclude pathogens. Bacteriophage isolation, characterization and bioengineering as targeted antimicrobials.	[email protected]
Chi Chen Ph.D., Professor, Director of Graduate Studies - Nutrition	Mechanistic investigations on the metabolic changes induced by dietary, chemical, microbial, and pathophysiological challenges through mass-spec metabolomics, metabolite analysis, stable isotope tracing, in vitro biochemical analysis, animal model, and human intervention treatment. Metabolite profiling and analysis in the lab cover both endogenous metabolites (lipids, amino acids, organic acids, aldehydes, ketones, and microbial metabolites) and exogenous metabolites (phytochemicals, pharmaceuticals, carcinogens, and their metabolites) in biofluids, wastes, tissue and cell extracts	[email protected]
Xiaoli Chen Professor, General MIlls Chair in Genomics for Healthfull Foods	The molecular mechanisms underlying adipose tissue dysfunction in obesity and during aging. The molecular mechanisms by which dietary components regulate energy metabolism and prevent metabolic diseases. The dietary regulation of aging and aging-related metabolic diseases.	[email protected]
Ryan B Cox Ph.D., Associate Professor	Value-added animal product processing and safety Feeding biofuel by-products to livestock and effect on meat quality and safety Pre-harvest effects on meat quality: The effect of alternative finishing systems on the consumer perception of quality Processed meat technology: Alternative methods to providing safe and wholesome products to the consumer	[email protected]
Agnes Saari Csallany Professor Emeritus	Food chemistry and nutritional biochemistry Free radical induced oxidative degradation of fatty acids, in vitro and in vivo systems, in fats, oil and various lipids Isolation and identification of degradation products with special reference to toxic compounds such as HNE Protective effects of antioxidants with special reference to vitamin E in lipid peroxidation and degradation	[email protected]
Fernanda F G Dias Assistant Professor	Lipid Chemistry (lipid characterization, lipid oxidation, primary- oxylipins, and secondary volatile oxidation products) Green extraction strategies (use of greener and safer solvents to extract and fractionate food components) Effects of environmentally friendly strategies on lipidomic markers of oil quality, and extractability, bioactivity and bioaccessibility of phytochemicals.	[email protected]
Joellen Feirtag Ph.D., Associate Professor and Food Safety Specialist	Food safety Food processing Food microbiology Hazard analysis HAACP	[email protected]
Daniel D Gallaher Ph.D., Professor , Director of Undergraduate Studies in Nutrition	Biochemical and Physiological Nutrition Cancer Research Diabetes and obesity	[email protected]
Craig A Hassel Ph.D., Associate Professor and Extension Nutritionist	Exploring food and health with cultural communities holding knowledge that does not correspond with Western science perspectives. This work pivots the culture/science relationship as it repositions scientific inquiry alongside ancient, ancestral and experiential understandings of food and health. Creating models of cross-cultural engagement that reform scientific inquiry to be more respectful of diverse ways of knowing. Examples include: 1) Using principles of Chinese medical theory and contemporary sensory analysis to explicate medicinal herb quality; 2) Using indigenous heirloom crop varieties, including wild rice, to explore Indigenous and biomedical worldviews; 3) Faculty development and cross-cultural symposia that embrace multiple worldview orientations. The University of Minnesota Center for Spirituality & Healing The Inter-institutional Consortium for Indigenous Knowledge at Penn State University The Cultural Wellness Center in Minneapolis and St. Paul The White Earth Tribal Council	[email protected]
Leena Hilakivi Clarke Professor	Breast Cancer Nutrition, including Maternal Nutrition Obesity Cancer Prevention Epigenetics Inflammation Cancer Immune Microenvironment Gut Microbiota Stress and Cancer	[email protected]
Kathleen Hill Gallant PhD, RD, Associate Professor	Mineral metabolism in kidney disease. Medical nutrition therapy for kidney disease. Phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium. Controlled feeding, metabolic balance, and kinetic studies. Clinical and translational research.	[email protected]
B Pam Ismail Professor, Founder and Director, Plant Protein Innovation Center	Protein chemistry Structure/function relationship of proteins Sustainable crops for functional ingredients Protein structural characterization using proteomics Optimization of protein extractions following industry feasible approaches Protein functionalization	[email protected]
Renee Korczak Teaching Assistant Professor		[email protected]
Mindy Kurzer Ph.D., Professor	Human nutrition Phytoestrogens Soy Diet and reproductive hormones Estrogen Metabolism in humans	[email protected]
Ted Labuza Professor Emeritus	Water activity and Glass Transition Phenomena Food stability, safety, labeling, and law Shelf life testing and dating Contaminants in food
Allen Levine Professor Emeritus	Neuroregulation of Food Intake and Energy Expenditure	[email protected]
Kumar Mallikarjunan Ph.D., Professor, Director of Graduate Studies - Food Science	Food process engineering, process modeling, and optimization. Non-contact, non-destructive sensing and extraction of phytochemicals. Electronic nose, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Novel processing technologies (PEF and Cold Plasma) Dairy processing and characterization Extraction of phytochemicals (MW and Ultrasound)	[email protected]
Leonard F Marquart Associate Professor	Whole grains and health Individual, environmental and behavioral factors influencing barriers, motivators and consumption of whole grain foods Examining the supply chain related to the gradual incorporation of whole grain foods into children’s diets through school foodservice	[email protected]
Daniel J O Sullivan Professor	Genomics of bifidobacteria and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) Engineering lactic acid bacteria to produce novel enzymes and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) Gut microbiome and specific health impacts Novel fermented foods for strengthening immune functions	[email protected]
Marla M Reicks Professor and Extension Nutritionist	Community nutrition education research and programming Eating patterns and physical activity among diverse families Men/father nutrition education Cooking education	[email protected]
Gary A Reineccius Professor Emeritus	Needs and trends of the industry which have evolved over time Flavor challenges in plant proteins – e.g. off flavors in plant protein isolates, and the chemical reaction of flavor compounds with plant protein isolates. Encapsulation of food ingredients, emulsions and flavoromics (chemometrics as applied to flavor chemistry)	[email protected]
Joanne Slavin Ph.D., RD, Professor	Dietary fiber and gut physiology Protein needs across the life cycle Whole grains and sustainable food grade grains Dietary guidance including dietary guidance and nutrient recommendations Regenerative agriculture Food processing and nutrient fortification Sustainable food systems Carbohydrate quality metrics	[email protected]
David Smith PhD., Professor, Emeritus	Value-added dairy products, such as milk protein fractions and the addition of prebiotics to dairy products	[email protected]
Levi Teigen Assistant Professor	Medical Nutrition Therapy Nutrition Assessment Body Composition Technologies Gut Microbiome Gut microbiome targeted diet therapies Metabolic potential of the microbiome and implications for health and disease	[email protected]
Johan B Ubbink Professor and Head of Department	Science and Technology of High-Solids Foods Processing and characterization of starch-based foods Processing and characterization of (plant) protein-based foods Technology and application of food powders Encapsulation and delivery of bioactive compounds Science-based cooking and culinary development,	[email protected]
Zata Vickers PhD., Professor, Director of Undergraduate Studies in Food Science	Food acceptability	[email protected]

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