September 01, 2011
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Dr. Lee-Ann Jaykus

Dr. Lee-Ann Jaykus

Lee-Ann Jaykus, PhD, alumna of UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health’s Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, was awarded a $25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in August to study food-borne viruses.

Jaykus, who received her doctorate from UNC in 1993, is professor of food science and microbiology at North Carolina State University. The grant is the largest ever awarded for food safety by the USDA and the largest received by N.C. State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
 
Since she joined the N.C. State faculty in 1994, Jaykus has studied norovirus and hepatitis A extensively. She now will lead the multi-university Food Virology Collaborative, which will study noroviruses, the most common cause of food poisoning, as well as other viruses.
 
“I am very proud of Professor Jaykus for her important contributions to food safety and environmental health,” said Mark D. Sobsey, PhD, Kenan Distinguished Professor of environmental sciences and engineering, director of the UNC Environmental Microbiology Laboratory, and Jaykus’ dissertation adviser. “She was an outstanding student, and since graduating from UNC, she has made and continues to make important contributions intended to make our food safer and prevent foodborne illness.”
 
In honor of her long career in food safety efforts and the USDA award, Jaykus was named “Tar Heel of the Week” on Aug. 21 by the Raleigh (N.C.) News and Observer. That article is available online.
 
 

UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health contact: Ramona DuBose, director of communications, (919) 966-7467 or ramona_dubose@unc.edu.

 

 

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