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Current Lab Members
Principal Investigator
Staff Researchers
Postdoctoral Researchers
Graduate Students
Visiting Scholar
- Saumya Wickramasinghe. Visiting Professor— Senior Lecturer Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
Undergraduate Students
- Valerie Betsis
- Brittany Baikie
- Sean Romeo
Mills Lab Alumni
Alumni - Post Doctoral Students
- Jennifer Hoeflinger, 2017-2020. Current Employment: Senior Scientist, Mascona Corporation, Lebanon, NH.
- Liu, Jinxin, 2016-2020. Current Employment: Professor, Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
- Maldonado-Gomez, Maria 2016-2020. Current Employment: Senior Scientist, BCD Bioscience, Sacramento, CA.
- Lewis, Zachery. 2015-2017. Current Employment: Senior Scientist, Clorox-Renew Life, Pleasanton, CA.
- Frese, Steve. 2013-2015. Current Employment: Assistant Professor, Department of Nutrition, University of Nevada-Reno.
- Pacheco, Alline. 2012-2015. Current Employment: Senior Scientist at Intellia Therapeutics, Inc., Boston, MA.
- Sela, David. 2011-2013. Current Employment: Associate Professor, Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA.
- Ruiz-Moyano, Santiago. 2010-2012. Current Employment: Professor, University of Extremadura, School of Agricultural Engineering, Department of Animal Production and Food Science, Badajoz, Spain.
- Wickramasinghe, Saumya. 2011-2012; Current Employment: Senior Lecturer Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
- Chichlowski, Maciej. 2009-2012. Current Employment: Principle Scientist, Reckitt Benckiser, Sacramento, CA.
- Kim, Jae Han. 2005-2011. Current Employment: Associate Professor, Department of Food Nutrition, ChungNam University, Daejeon, Korea.
- Eom, Hyun Ju. 2008-2010. Current employment: Researcher, Chungcheongbukdo Agricultural Research and Extension Services, Cheongwon, Korea.
- Marcobal, Angela. 2006-2008. Current employment: Principle Scientist-Microbiologist, BCD Biosciences Inc, Davis, CA.
- Rawsthorne, Helen. 2002-2004. Current employment: Senior Research Scientist, Albumedix, UK.
- Phister, Trevor 2002-2004. Current employment: R&D Principal Microbiologist, Global Microbiological Sciences at PepsiCo, UK.
- Cocolin, Luca 1998-2000. Current position: Professor, Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Food Sciences, University of Turin, Italy.
Alumni - Graduate Students
- Dunne-Castagna, Vanessa, 2020. Ph.D. Nutritional Biology. Current Position: NutraSIGa, Sacramento, CA.
- Griggs, Reid, 2020. M.S. Viticulture and Enology. Current Position: MacDonald Vineyards, Napa, CA.
- Murase, Ayaka, 2018. M.S. Food Science. Current Position: Researcher, Suntory Wellness Limited, Tokyo, Japan.
- Robinson, Ashanti. 2016. M.S. Food Science. Current employment: Analytical Protein Chemist, Clara Foods.
- Karav, Sercan. 2015. Ph.D. Food Science (co-advised with David Block and Daniela Barile). Current Employment: Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University.
- Lewis, Zachery. 2015. Ph.D. Microbiology. Current Employment: Senior Scientist, Clorox-Renew Life, Pleasanton, CA.
- Bokulich, Nick. 2014. Ph.D. Food Science. Current Employment: Assistant Research Professor, Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ.
- Garrido, Daniel. 2013. Ph.D. Food Science. Current Employment: Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering and Bioprocesses, School of Engineering, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. Santiago, Chile.
- Sela, David. 2010. Ph.D. Microbiology. Current Employment: Associate Professor, Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA.
- LoCascio, Riccardo. 2009. Ph.D. Microbiology. Current position: Regional Business Development Manager at Novozymes.
- Arhens, Kristen. 2008. M.S. Food Science. Current position: Senior Research Microbiologist, Eurofins, Livermore, CA.
- Thompson, Sean. 2006. M.S. Viticulture and Enology. Current Position, Senor Winemaker, Schramsburg Winery.
- Neeley, Zeke. 2005. M.S. Viticulture and Enology. Current position: Winemaker, Kenwood Vineyards, Kenwood, CA.
- Allen, Greg. 2004. M.S. Food Science. Current position: Winemaker & President, Dolce Winery, Oakville, CA.
- Kim, Jae.-Han. 2004. Ph.D. Food Science. Current position: Associate Professor, Department of Food Nutrition, ChungNam University, Daejeon, Korea.
- Parry, Cameron. 2004. M.S. Viticulture and Enology. Current position: Director of Winegrowing, Groth Winery and Vineyards, Napa, CA.
- Parker (Frazier), Courtney. 2003. Ph.D. Microbiology. Current position: Senor Director of Quality, E. & J. Gallo, Modesto, CA.
- Tamir, Dafna. 2003. M.S. Food Science. Current position: Administrative Manager of R&D, FuturaGene Ltd, Rehovot, Israel.
- Orr, Erica. 2003. M.S. Food Science. Current position: Winemaking Consultant, Seattle WA.
- Rantsiou, Kalliopi. 2002. Ph.D. Food Science. Current Position: Associate Professor, Agricultural Microbiology and Food Technology,University of Turin, Italy.
- Johannsen, Eric. 2002. M.S. Food Science. Current Position: Winemaker, Jackson Family Wines, Santa Rosa, CA.
Alumni - Visiting Researchers or Visiting Students (& positions they had when they visited)
- Zhu, Yuanting - Sichuan Agricultural University 2018-2019.
- Ohta, Moe, National Tax Agency of Japan 2012-2013.
- Liang, Xiaojin, Department of Viticulture and Enology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China 2011-2013.
- Turroni, Francesca, Department of Genetics, Biology of Microorganisms, Anthropology, Evolution, University of Parma 2009.
- Liu, Shuwen, Professor and Associate Dean, College of Enology, Northwest Sci-Tech University of Agriculture and Forestry, Yangling, China. 2008.
- Zaunmuller, Tanja, Institute for Microbiology, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Germany 2007.
- Urso, Rosalinda, Department of Food Science University of Udine Italy 2005.
- Rodriquez, Dr. Maria, Professor Higiene de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Avda. Universidad Caceres, Spain. 2004.
- Marcobal, Angela, Graduate Student, Department Microbiología, Instituto de Fermentaciones Industriales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain 2004.
- Lahl, Katarina, Undergraduate Student, Department of Food Science, Technical University in Munich 2004.
- Lopez, Isabel, Graduate Student, Departamento de Agricultura y Alimentación, Universidad de La Rioja, Logroño (La Rioja) Spain. 2001.
- Manzano, Dr. Maria, Associate Professor Department of Food Science University of Udine Italy. 1999.
- Cocolin, Luca, Graduate Student, Department of Food Science University of Udine Italy. 1998.
Alumni - Staff (Junior Specialists or Staff Research Associates)
- Jassim Al-Oboudi, 2018-2020. Current Position: Graduate Student, Microbiology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI.
- Koch, Elexia, Junior Specialist, 2018-2020. Current Position: Technician, CannaSafe, Los Angeles, CA.
- Krishnakumar, Nithya, Junior Specialist, 2018-2020. Current Position: BCD Biosciences, Sacramento, CA
- Lopez, Julian, 2018. Current Position: Public Health Advisor, San Francisco, CA.
- Yu, Alice 2016-2018, Current Position: Research Scientist at California Department of Public Health, Davis. CA.
- Bennett (Lee), Morgan, Junior Specialist 2014-2015. Current Position: Research Coordinator at Central Texas Veterans Research Foundation, Killeen, Tx.
- Masarweh, Chad, 2011-2015. Current Position: Graduate Student, Graduate Group in Microbiology, UC Davis, Davis CA.
- Ryazantseva, Mariya, 2011-2013 Current Position: Nurse Practitioner at Diablo Valley Oncology & Hematology.
- Adamson, Aaron, Staff Research Associate, 2008-2009. Current Position: Staff Scientist at City of Hope National Medical Center.
- Clark, Sharon, Junior Specialist, 2003-2004.
- Turner, Kevin, Junior Specialist, 2002-2003.