Lori Bystrom

Lori Bystrom is a Lecturer in Food Enterprise and Plant Science at Bath Spa University since July 2017, affiliated with the School of Sciences. Her academic journey includes a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a PhD in Nutritional Sciences from Cornell University. Prior to her current role, she held postdoctoral positions at Weill Cornell Medical College (New York City) and the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, focusing on natural compounds and their effects on hematologic malignancies.

Her research spans functional foods, complementary medicine, natural product development, and cancer research, with notable work on cranberry compounds targeting leukemia. She has also conducted ethnobotanical studies on Melicoccus bijugatus fruits and collaborated with industries such as the cranberry sector. Lori is a recipient of prestigious fellowships, including the F32 Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (NCCIH) and an R25 fellowship (NCI).

Teaching includes modules like Global Food Issues, Future Food and Nutrition, and Plants and People. She mentors dissertation students in Human Nutrition, Food with Nutrition, and Biology. Her work integrates laboratory research with industry partnerships, emphasizing sustainable product development and public health implications of dietary habits, particularly during crises like the pandemic.