Hanyu Chen

Dr. Hanyu Chen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota, where she leads research and Extension programs in food microbiological safety. Her work focuses on developing practical food safety solutions for specialty, cottage, and small-scale food producers and applying innovative processing technologies to improve food safety, quality, and shelf life.

Dr. Chen earned her Ph.D. and M.S. in Food Science and Technology from Cornell University and her B.S. in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Her graduate and postdoctoral research at Cornell focused on nonthermal and physicochemical approaches for controlling foodborne pathogens, including UV-C, far-UV-C, pulsed light, and visible light technologies; microbial attachment and biofilm control; antibiofouling materials; and novel processing of fermented dairy products.

Before joining the University of Minnesota, Dr. Chen was a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Food Science at Purdue University, where she led research in food safety and innovation and supported specialty and small-scale food producers through applied research. She also founded and directed the Food Science Online Academy, developing online courses, professional certificates, and workforce training programs for students, food professionals, and industry.

Dr. Chen’s research interests include food safety engineering, applied food microbiology, emerging thermal and nonthermal processing technologies, predictive modeling, and AI-enabled food safety and quality assessment. Her program aims to translate food safety science and engineering into practical solutions for food processors and communities.