David A. Mills

David A. Mills is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology and Viticulture & Enology at the University of California, Davis, holding the Peter J. Shields Chair in Dairy Food Science. His research focuses on the molecular biology and ecology of beneficial bacteria in gut health and fermented foods, particularly the role of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) in infant nutrition and microbial symbiosis. He leads a lab translating microbiome science into commercial innovations, such as probiotic development and food biotechnology.

Dr. Mills has mentored over 30 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, generating over 210 publications. His work spans glycomics, microbiome analysis, and food processing technologies. Notable contributions include seminal studies on lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacterial genomics, and the creation of the Davis Food Glycopedia.

Awards include the American Academy of Microbiology Fellowship (2015), Clarivate Analytics' Highly Cited Researcher designation (2018–2024), and the UC Davis Distinguished Professor title (2024). His research has launched multiple startups and influenced global food science and public health initiatives.

Research themes emphasize interdisciplinary approaches to understanding microbiome-host interactions, pre/probiotic efficacy, and sustainable food systems. Current projects investigate dietary carbohydrates' impact on health, microbial fermentation dynamics, and engineered plant systems for producing HMO analogs.