Mary Ann Lila is the director of N.C. State University's

Plants for Human Health Institute The Plants for Human Health Institute (PHHI) is a North Carolina State University research and education organization located at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis, North Carolina, United States. The institute researches food c ...

(PHHI) located at the North Carolina Research Campus in

Kannapolis Kannapolis () is a city in Cabarrus and Rowan counties, in the U.S. state of North Carolina, northwest of Concord and northeast of Charlotte and is a suburb in the Charlotte metropolitan area. The city of Kannapolis was incorporated in 1984. Th ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

. The institute is part of N.C. State's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. In her role with PHHI, Lila is a David H. Murdock Distinguished Professor and part of N.C. State's Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences. She is a researcher and has been called "the rock star of blueberry research." Lila's research program, called the "LilaLab," focuses on identifying and understanding the bioactive components of fruits and vegetables that confer human health benefits when consumed. Her lab works to identify these compounds and define the protective mechanisms which will ultimately lead to recommendations for how much or how often a food would need to be consumed to confer health benefits. In doing so, she hopes to develop and discover ways to counteract chronic diseases, promote endurance and protect human health. She specializes in berries, like blueberries, black currants and cranberries, but also investigates other food crops. Lila has ongoing research projects in Africa, Asia, North America and Oceania, and is vice president of the Global Institute for BioExploration (GIBEX). In 1999, Dr. Lila won a Fulbright Senior Scholarship to conduct research and outreach in New Zealand. Previous to N.C. State, Lila was a professor at the

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Un ...

. She is an author of about 200 published journal articles, books and chapters. Under Lila's direction, the Plants for Human Health Institute has received more than $10 million in gift donations and competitive grants. Lila has degrees from the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Uni ...

and the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...

. She has served as the U.S. correspondent for the International Association of Plant Biotechnology, President of the Society for In Vitro Biology, Director of the ACES Global Connect – the international arm of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Associate Director of the Functional Foods for Health Program.

References

External links

Plants for Human Health Institute website

North Carolina State University website

North Carolina Research Campus website

North Carolina State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lila, Mary Ann Living people American health activists University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign faculty North Carolina State University faculty University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni University of Illinois alumni Year of birth missing (living people)