Aliyar Fouladkhah

Dr. Aliyar Fouladkhah is an Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at Tennessee State University's College of Agriculture. With expertise spanning food microbiology, public health, and climate change impacts on food safety, Dr. Fouladkhah leads research on antimicrobial interventions against foodborne pathogens and serves as a key resource for food safety outreach and education in Tennessee and beyond.

Dr. Fouladkhah's educational background includes:

• PhD in Meat Science and Food Safety (Food Microbiology) from Colorado State University
• MS in Food Science & Nutrition from Colorado State University
• Graduate Certificates in Applied Statistics and Data Analysis, and Regulatory Affairs
• AP MPH in Applied Biostatistics and Epidemiology from Yale University School of Public Health
• Additional Certificates in Regulatory Affairs and Climate Change and Health from Yale

Dr. Fouladkhah's research focuses on critical food safety challenges including antibiotic resistance in changing climate conditions, ecology of planktonic cells and biofilms of foodborne bacteria, and foodborne disease epidemiology. His work examines innovative interventions such as high-pressure processing combined with natural antimicrobials to combat pathogens like Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. His extension work centers on Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) compliance and HACCP implementation for small producers and food manufacturers.

Analysis of Dr. Fouladkhah's recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on the intersection of food safety, climate change, and public health. His research increasingly addresses how changing environmental conditions impact foodborne pathogen behavior and resistance mechanisms. A significant portion of his work focuses on developing synergistic antimicrobial interventions that combine physical methods like high-pressure processing with natural compounds to enhance food safety while maintaining product quality.

Dr. Fouladkhah has received numerous prestigious awards recognizing his contributions to public health and food safety:

• Excellence in Climate Leadership Award from the Center for Climate Health and Equity of American Public Health Association (2024)
• APHA Catherine Cowell Award for excellence in public health nutrition (2024)
• USAID Volunteer of the Year Award (2020)
• Distinguished Industrial Scientist Award from Tennessee Academy of Science (2022)
• Outstanding Service Award from Yale Alumni Association (2022)

As a principal investigator, Dr. Fouladkhah has secured multiple USDA-NIFA grants totaling over $2 million, with current projects including "Public Health Microbiology and Process Authority Support for Tennessean Entrepreneurs" ($300,000) and as Co-PI on the Southern Regional Center for FSMA Food Safety Training ($990,000). His grant portfolio demonstrates strong alignment between research, extension, and educational initiatives addressing food safety challenges for small producers and processors. Dr. Fouladkhah also serves as a process authority for food manufacturers and regularly provides technical assistance to entrepreneurs.

Dr. Fouladkhah leads the Public Health Microbiology Research and Outreach Laboratory at Tennessee State University, which focuses on developing evidence-based interventions against foodborne pathogens. The lab collaborates with industry partners including Pressure BioScience Inc. and has conducted international training programs in countries including Haiti, Jamaica, and Georgia, focusing on building local capacity for food safety testing and implementation of modern food safety practices.