Wei Zhang

Professor Wei Zhang is a Full Professor of Food Science and the Associate Director of the Center for Process Innovation at the Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH), a partnership between Illinois Tech, the FDA, and the food industry. He holds a Ph.D. from Penn State University and completed postdoctoral training at the CDC. His research focuses on microbial food safety, bacterial genomics, and pathogen mechanisms in food supply chains, utilizing advanced bioinformatics and genomic tools. Dr. Zhang leads a research team investigating foodborne pathogens like Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli, and has secured over $5 million in USDA and FDA grants. He serves on editorial boards of journals including Applied and Environmental Microbiology and Food Microbiology, and is a member of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) and other professional organizations.

Education:

• Ph.D., Food Science, Pennsylvania State University
• M.S., Huazhong Agricultural University
• B.S., Huazhong Agricultural University

Research interests include molecular detection of foodborne bacteria, genotyping, stress response mechanisms, and pathogen virulence. His work aims to understand genetic and physiological bases for bacterial survival in food environments and human transmission. Key achievements include developing genomic approaches for pathogen identification and contributing to food safety standards through collaborative industry-research initiatives.

Publications highlight advancements in bacterial genomics, foodborne outbreak analyses, and antimicrobial resistance. Awards include the Penn State CAS Outstanding Recent Alumni Award and CDC Charles C. Shepard Science Award nomination. Dr. Zhang teaches courses in food microbiology, biotechnology, and functional genomics, bridging academic research with practical applications in food safety.

Grants and advisory roles include leadership in USDA-funded projects and participation in national/international panels such as NASA and EU Transnational Funding initiatives. His lab’s work emphasizes translational research to improve food safety protocols and reduce contamination risks in global supply chains.

Labs/Teams: Active research team at the IFSH focusing on bacterial pathogenesis and food safety, collaborating with industry and regulatory agencies like the FDA and USDA.