Professor & Director
Plants for Human Health Institute, North Carolina State University
Mary Ann Lila is Director of the Plants for Human Health Institute, North Carolina State University, She holds the David H. Murdock Distinguished Professorship, and is a Professor in Food, Bioprocessing, and Nutrition Sciences. Through ground-breaking, transdisciplinary discovery and outreach, her team of faculty at the Plants for Human Health Institute pioneers a dramatic shift in the way the American public views and uses food crops – not merely as a source of nutrients and flavorful calories, but as a powerful resource for components that protect and enhance human health. Integrated research in metabolomics, biochemistry, pharmacogenomics, molecular breeding, regenerative medicine, translational food science and nutrition and postharvest are aimed at development and promotion of mainstream fruit and vegetable produce with enhanced health benefits, and introduction of new or underappreciated crops and products from around the globe, allowing consumers to make proactive, responsible dietary choices that benefit their own, and their families’ health. Dr. Lila is a recent recipient of the Babcock-Hart Award for food technology/public health (through the IFT), and the Copernico Bronze Medal for Food Science & Nutrition. She is a Fellow of the Society for In Vitro Biology and a Fellow of IFT. Dr. Lila has ongoing research projects in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Asia and Africa, and was a Fulbright Senior Scholar in New Zealand.