Education

Ph.D., Food Science and Technology, 2014: University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
M.Sc., Dairy Science, 2010: South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD
B.Tech., Dairy Science and Technology, 2007: Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, India

Academic Interests/Expertise

As a researcher in the area of dairy science, I have endeavoured to bring together the chemistry, processing, technologies and engineering aspects together.

My areas of expertise are:
1. Product structure and rheology
2. Novel food processing technologies – High pressure processing, Nanobubble technology, Supercritical fluid processing.
3. Functional products and ingredients
4. Dairy processing and value addition
5. Delivery systems, release kinetics and biological activity

I am currently focused on optimizing processing technologies for functional benefits and value addition of dairy products and ingredients. I collaborate with research institutions and industry to understand the areas requiring research and provide solutions for dairy processing and product development. My goal is to enable commercialization of optimized novel technologies and sustainable processes, that can enhance the value of dairy products, ingredients and waste streams.

Academic Responsibilities

Teaching
3. Dairy Products Judging (DS 201)
2. Advanced Dairy Products Judging (DS 401)
1. Laboratory Techniques in Dairy Science (DS 731)

Committee Activities

Leadership - Professional Organizations
11. Review Editor, Frontiers in Nutrition journal in the Chemistry section.
10. Guest Editor, MDPI Food journal special edition on ' Modifications and Interactions of Milk Proteins in Different Processes and Products' (2022 - 2023)
9. Secretary, Great Plain subsection of Minnesota section of Institute of Food Technologists
8. Organizer, International Association for Cereal Science and Technology Cereal and Bread Congress 2021, Vienna, Austria
7. Lincoln University Representative at the Canterbury Chapter of New Zealand Institute of Chemistry (NZIC) (2020-2021)
6. Lincoln University, Elected Health and Safety representative for AGLS (2020-2021)
5. Food Technology expert for the Review of Achievement Standards, National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) (2019-2021)
4. Secretary, Pennsylvania State University Postdoctoral Society (2014-2015)
3. ADSA Graduate Student Division (GSD) Advisory Council - Dairy Foods Director (2014 - 2015)
2. Super user and reviewer executive committee IFT Dairy Food Division (2013-2014)
1.Graduate Student Division, Dairy Foods Director of the ADSA (2013-2014)

Service roles - SDSU
3. Coach of the SDSU Dairy Products Judging Team training for regional and national competitions (2023 onwards)
2. Co-Advisor, SDSU Indian Students Association (2022 onwards)
1. Co-Advisor, SDSU Dairy and Food Science Lab Safety Committee (2022 onwards)

Service - Academic Institutions
7. Delivered up to 10 lectures and seminars and one two-day workshop at different colleges under Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, India, as a part of the Brain Gain scheme (July to Sept 2022)
6. Lead in establishing Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) of Lincoln University with: (1) 2020 - Amity University, India for a 3+1 Bachelor of Science Program, where students will conduct their last year of study at Lincoln University; (2) Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) of Lincoln University with Amity University, India for a 3+1 Bachelor of Science Program, where students will conduct their last year of study at Lincoln University (2020)
5. Reviewer for Committee on University Academic Programmes (CUAP) Round One 2019 proposal by Massey University, May 2019
4. Organizer for International Dairy Federation International Symposium On Cheese Science And Technology & Symposium On Concentration And Drying Technologies Of Dairy Products, April 2016, Dublin, Ireland.
3. Resource person, Cheese short course (Dec 2014), specifically in cheese making labs for Cheddar, Feta and Ricotta cheeses, PSU
2. Guest organizer and lecturer, USDA HEC grant: Applied food safety lab course III, (one credit special topic - NFS 492/592, 4 day summer workshop - July 2011), South Dakota State University (SDSU), USA.
1. Organizer: (1) SAFE 600 - practical sessions on rapid detection techniques used in the food safety analysis, summer workshop (2009), North Dakota State Univ., USA ; (2) USDA HEC grant: Introductory food safety lab course I (Aug 2009) and Applied food safety lab course II (one credit special topic - NFS 492/592 - June 2010) 4 –day summer workshops, SDSU


Current Graduate Advisees:
6. Ifra Tun Nur (2023 - present)
5. Shafeeqa Irfan (2023 - present)
4. Akshit (2022 - present)
3. Ting Mao (2022 - present)
2.Iresha Matiwalage (2021-present), Improving the bioavailability of polyphenols in red grape using milk proteins. (Lincoln University, New Zealand)
1. Subha Sasidharan (2020-present), Green Tea Polyphenols, interaction with milk proteins: Quantification and Applications. (Lincoln University, New Zealand)


Past Graduate Advisee:
1. Zhiguang Huang (2017-2020), Milk lipid complexation and interaction with food ingredients- Digestibility and absorption.

Visiting scholars/International Research Interns:
3. Sonali Yadav (2020), Image analysis of confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM) images for yogurt with different gelling agents.
2. V Vartika (2019), Effect of whey protein addition on pasting, textural and thermal properties of pea starch
1. Vijay Kumar (2019), Study of interactions of milk protein (Calcium caseinates) with pea starch.


Examiner for thesis/dissertation
4. PhD Auckland University of Technology, NZ (2022)
3. MSc Univ. of Otago, NZ (2020)
2. PhD Massey University, NZ (2019)
1. MSc Lincoln University, NZ (2019)

Undergraduate research advising: 8 advisees ( Lincoln University NZ)
Graduate student independent study project advising: 12 advisees (Lincoln University NZ)
Graduate research interns advising: 8 advisees (Lincoln University NZ)

Awards and Honors

7. Brain Gain scheme fellowship by Kerala State higher Education Council, India in association with Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (2022).
6. Lincoln University (NZ) Teaching Excellence Award – Early Career (2019 – 2020)
5. Outstanding Volunteer Award, Institute of Food Technologists Dairy Foods Division (2013 – 2014 )
4. First place Dairy Foods: Graduate student Oral presentation competition, ADSA meeting (2013 – 2014 )
3. Edlong Dairy Flavors scholarship award in association with IFT (2012 – 2014)
2. Second place Midwest Regional, IFT Student Assoc. College Bowl competition, part of UT team (2011 – 2014)
1. International Dairy Foods Association IDFA/DREF Dairy Industry Graduate Scholarship award (2010 - 2013)

Grants

6. United State Geological Survey 104b grant fund through South Dakota Water Resources Institute (2022 - 2023) on 'Nanobubble technology for dairy processing effluent treatment'.
5. Joint Postgraduate School fellowships for PhD student (two) stipend and tuition fees (2020 - 2023 and 2021 - 2024)
4. Collaborated for Lincoln University Capital expenditure (capex) grant for Rheometer (2020)
3. Industry grant from Westland Milk products, New Zealand for project on 'Effect of Temperature on Textural and Sensory Properties of Butter' (2020 - 2021)
2. Industry grant from Yili-Oceania Dairy Ltd., new Zealand for project on 'Dairy proteins as vehicles for polyphenols' (2019 - 2021)
1. Lincoln University capex grant for Ultra High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (2019)

Patents

1. ‘Foaming and emulsifying properties of high pressure jet processing pasteurized milk’. Inventors: F. Harte, M. Martinez, and M. S. Mohan.US Patent US20160374359 A1. (Patent Application No. 15/185,296)
2. ‘Viscoelastic gelling agent’. V Chelikani, and M. S. Mohan. Patent number: 2020901266 (Australia). Patent status: Provisional patent. Filed date: 22 Apr 2020

Professional Memberships

• American Oil Chemists Society (AOCS) – Professional member until 2017, 2023 onwards
• American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) – 2023 onwards
• Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) – Professional member until 2017, 2023 onwards
• New Zealand Institute of Chemistry (NZIC) – Lincoln University representative in Canterbury Chapter
• New Zealand Controlled Release Society (NZCRS) – Professional Member
• New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology (NZIFST) – Professional Member
• American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) –Professional member until 2017
• Reviewer for ScienceDirect Food Bioscience journal, SAGE Food Science and Technology journal, Journal of Dairy Science, Food Bioscience and Food Science and Technology International, International Journal of Dairy Technology, Journal of Food Processing and Preservation

Work Experience

2022 - present - Associate Professor, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, USA
2022 - present - Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, New Zealand
2018 – 2022 – Lecturer or Assistant Professor, Lincoln University, New Zealand
2017 – 2018 – Research and Development Scientist, Glanbia Consumer Foods, Kilkenny, Ireland
2016 – 2017 - Postdoctoral researcher, Teagasc – Irish Food and Agricultural Institute, Cork, Ireland
2014 – 2015 - Postdoctoral researcher, Pennsylvania State University, USA
2011 – 2014 - Graduate Research Assistant, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
2009 – 2011 – Graduate Research Assistant, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, USA
2007 – 2008 – Technical Superintendent, Products Dairy, Milma, ERCMPU, Kerala, India

Creative Activities

As of April 2022,
1 Patent and 1 Provisional patent
17 Peer-reviewed journal articles and reviews
15 Abstracts in Scientific Conferences and Symposia
15 Invited professional lectures, seminars and panel discussions
2 Books chapters
3 Scientific/ Workshop manuals
2 Articles in professional magazines

List of publications: https://scholar.google.co.nz/citations?user=EfcCMi0AAAAJ&hl=en