Principal Investigators
Mary Ann Lila, PhD
Mary Ann Lila, PhD, Institute Director, has over 24 years of research experience with plant studies. Dr. Lila's research is aimed at identifying bioactive compounds and understanding how they work. She is particularly interested in compounds that counteract chronic disease and enhance human metabolism.
Penelope Perkins-Veazie, PhD
Penelope Perkins-Veazie, PhD, Professor, Post Harvest Physiologist, specializes in post harvest methods, shelf life and phytochemical changes of fruits and vegetables. Dr. Perkins-Veazie pioneered studies on changes in lycopene in watermelon germplasm and established post harvest quality standards for fresh blackberries.
Allan Brown, PhD
Allan Brown, PhD, Assistant Professor, Applied Molecular Geneticist, has a strong background in both conventional vegetable breeding and molecular genetics. As part of an inter-departmental study, Dr. Brown investigated the bioactivity and genetic basis of health promoting compounds in broccoli, focusing principally on glucosinolates and anti-oxidants. This research was described in an article that was named American Society for Horticultural Science vegetable publication of the year.
Jeremy Pattison, PhD
Jeremy Pattison, PhD, Assistant Professor, Strawberry Breeder, is part of a multidisciplinary reaserch team that is addressing the genetic improvement of strawberries for fruit quality, health-promoting potentials, productivity, season extension and resistance to yield-limiting insect, pests and pathogens.
Blake Brown, PhD
Blake Brown, PhD, is the Hugh C. Kiger Professor of Agricultural and Resources Economics and specializes in extension and research responsibilities for value-added and alternative agriculture and policy. He has spent much of his carrer as a policy analust working on farm policy, patrticular tobacco buyout. He has worked extensively with legislators and policy makers, including the Senate and House Agricultural Committees, in the area of tobacco policy.
Steven Lommel, PhD
Steven Lommel, PhD, is a Professor of Plant Pathology and Genetics, is the Assistant Vice Chancellor for NC State University's research on the NCRC. Additionally, he serves as one of the nine Board Members for David H. Murdock Research Institute (DHMRI) at the NC Research Campus. Dr. Lommel serves as special scientific advisor to the US Environment Protection Agency on the release of transgenic crops and also serves on numerous university, state, federal, and international boards, committees, and funding panels.
Slovko-Komarnytsky, PhD
Dr. Slavko Komarnytsky recognizes that millions of people rely on botanicals and other natural products to prevent disease, maintain wellness, or treat illness or pain. In his research program, he is working to develop a strong interdisciplinary program for systematic evaluation of the efficacy and safety of botanicals and natural products; and to fulfill the critical need for additional basic and translational research on the bioavailability and bioactivity of botanicals and their mechanisms of action in treatment or prevention of metabolic diseases.
Xu Li, PhD
Dr. Xu "Sirius" Li's research interests focus on plant secondary metabolism. Plants can produce a large array of diverse specialized metabolites, many of which are known to have beneficial effects on human health. Understanding how these compounds are made and accumulated in plants will enable the production of crops, vegetables, and fruits for enhanced health-promoting properties.