Academics

Josephine Wee joins Penn State Department of Food Science

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Department of Food Science in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences recently welcomed Josephine Wee, a new assistant professor of food microbiology, whose appointment will enhance educational and research programs in food safety and microbiology.

"Along with the vision of the department to be an internationally recognized leader in undergraduate education and innovative graduate research, I share a passion for teaching and research to enhance the educational programs of the department," she said. "I am extremely excited and fortunate to be a part of such a collaborative research and teaching environment in one of the premier food science departments in the country."

Wee has a multidisciplinary background in the life sciences with expertise in microbiology, molecular biology, nutritional immunology and toxicology. She earned a bachelor's degree in food science and a doctorate in food science and environmental toxicology from Michigan State University.

She conducted postdoctoral research on molecular and evolutionary biology of yeast at Cornell University and collaborated with Michigan State University scientists on an NIH-funded project titled "Dietary Lipids and Silica-induced Autoimmunity."

Major goals of her research are to determine how microbial evolution shapes specific genetic signatures in foodborne fungal and bacterial pathogens, and to understand mechanisms by which environmental toxicants and food constituents modulate health and disease. She is particularly interested in how diet and food can block or prevent the onset of autoimmune diseases such as lupus.

Last Updated April 5, 2018

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