Features

Feb 13, 2025

PHHI’s newest faculty expands -omics research of phytochemicals

In January, Dragan Milenkovic, Ph.D., joined the faculty at NC State University’s Plants for Human Health Institute (PHHI) as an associate professor in advanced nutrigenomics of bioactive phytochemicals. The addition…

Sep 16, 2024

United States Under Secretary of Agriculture inspires students in Kannapolis

“Whoa! Look how big this one is!”  It’s an exclamation commonly heard in the school garden when digging sweetpotatoes. What is uncommon is for that comment to be directed at…

Jul 18, 2024

Industry leaders gather at NC State University for International Carrot Conference

The 41st International Carrot Conference was attended by 83 stakeholders in the carrot industry representing 10 countries from around the globe. This year’s conference, held in Raleigh, North Carolina for…

Jul 15, 2024

Mary Ann Lila among 2024 IFT Fellows

The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a nonprofit scientific organization with global members spanning academia, government, and industry, is pleased to announce that Mary Ann Lila, PhD, Professor of Food, Bioprocessing, and…

Jul 27, 2023

Student Spotlight: Victoria Yell

As part of our Summer Spotlight series, PHHI intern, Malak Hassanein, interviewed PHHI graduate students to share their stories. Victoria Yell (VY) is a graduate student in the Li Lab…

Jun 9, 2023

Student Spotlight: Brianna Haynes

As part of our Summer Spotlight series, PHHI intern, Malak Hassanein, interviewed PHHI graduate students to share their stories. Brianna Haynes (BH) has been fulfilling coursework for her Master’s degree,…

Jul 26, 2022

Grafting watermelon to combat hollow heart

Few will argue that the watermelon heart is the sweetest, most desired bite. But have you ever cut into a watermelon that had what appeared to be a significant crack…

Jun 15, 2022

Alaska Natives explore science careers during Kannapolis visit

In 2019, Dontae Jimmie attended a “kid’s science camp” at the Yukon River fish camp in Alaska led by Dr. Mary Ann Lila, professor at NC State University, and Dr.…

Dec 3, 2019

PHHI team lands $12.8 Million to improve fruit quality of Blueberry and Cranberry

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – With a long-term goal of improving blueberry and cranberry based on producer and consumer interests, NC State University scientists, Massimo Iorizzo, Mary Ann Lila and Penelope Perkins-Veazie,…

Oct 7, 2019

How Epigenetics Could Change How We Grow Food

To understand epigenetics, nutrition, and the work of Dr. Tzung-Fu Hsieh, it helps to begin long before he was even born, back during World War II. In fall of 1944,…