Mississippi State University, United States
Dr. Jerish Joyner Janahar is a dedicated Postdoctoral Associate at Mississippi State University , specializing in food processing technologies at the MAFES Experimental Seafood Processing Lab . With over a decade of academic and industry experience, he brings a unique blend of research, teaching, and leadership skills in food science and engineering . He has worked across India and the U.S., contributing to academia as Assistant Professor , and industry as Head of Food Tech . Known for innovations in high-pressure and shear-based food processing, Jerish has published extensively and earned several accolades for his research and teaching . Actively involved in editorial roles and scientific reviewing, he contributes to the global food tech community . His commitment extends to mentoring and outreach, regularly judging science fairs, presenting at conferences , and facilitating workshops. Passionate about advancing clean-label, sustainable food solutions, he continues to drive food innovation forward.
Profile
Orcid
Scholar
🎓 Education:
Dr. Jerish earned his Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology from The Ohio State University, USA (2023), focusing on high-pressure food processing technologies, with a GPA of 3.4/4.0 . He holds an M.Tech in Food Process Engineering from NIFTEM-T (TNAU), India (2013), where he graduated top of his class with a GPA of 3.5/4.0 . His undergraduate degree is a B.Tech in Food Processing Technology from the College of Food and Dairy Technology, TANUVAS, India (2010), GPA 3.4/4.0 . His education integrated strong foundations in engineering, dairy science, and food quality . Throughout his academic journey, Jerish won awards , led innovative student research , and represented his universities at national seminars and science fairs. He also qualified India’s National Eligibility Test (NET) for lectureship . His diverse academic background laid the groundwork for a career dedicated to applied food technology and interdisciplinary research excellence.
💼 Experience:
Jerish has held key roles in academia and industry for over 14 years . Currently a Postdoctoral Associate at Mississippi State University (2024–present) , he researches novel processing methods for plant-based beverages . Previously, he served as Graduate Research/Teaching Associate at The Ohio State University (2018–2023), developing high-pressure food systems and instructing engineering labs . As Assistant Professor at TANUVAS, India (2015–2024 intermittently), he taught food processing, dairy engineering, and quality control . In industry, he led operations at Kiwi Nutritech (2013–2015) and worked as Technical Officer at Hatsun Agro Products (2010–2011) . He began his career as Application Specialist (Trainee) at Vasta Biotech (2010) and as a Graduate Research Assistant at NIFTEM-T (2012–2013) . His roles spanned R&D, teaching, manufacturing, product development, SOP design, and quality compliance . His well-rounded career bridges research innovation, industrial problem-solving, and impactful education.
🏆 Awards & Honors:
Jerish has earned prestigious recognitions, including the Outstanding Graduate Research Award and the Brown D.H. & V.R. Scholarship from Ohio State University in 2023 . He’s a member of elite societies like Phi Tau Sigma and Sigma Xi (2022–23) . He won 3rd place at IFT FIRST 2022 oral competition and 2nd prize at the Edward F. Hayes Graduate Forum (2022) . He received the OVIFT scholarship and CAST Science Communication Award in 2021 . He’s been honored by various journals for excellence in peer review (2020–2024) . He qualified India’s National Eligibility Test (NET, 2014) and won a gold medal for academic excellence in his Master’s . Early accolades include winning a national model presentation, ICAR All India PG Rank-51, and leading his school volleyball team to district victory . His honors reflect scholarly achievement, scientific service, and leadership across academic, research, and extracurricular fronts.
🔬 Research Focus:
Jerish’s research centers on innovative food preservation using high-pressure, thermal, and shear-based technologies like Ultra Shear Technology (UST) and Ultra-High Pressure Homogenization (UHPH) . His work explores protein interactions, stability, and quality in liquid foods, especially dairy and plant-based systems . He utilizes advanced analytical tools like SAXS, microscopy, and rheology to study colloidal behavior and biochemical changes . He’s passionate about clean-label processing, aiming to reduce chemical additives while enhancing shelf life and nutrition . Jerish has collaborated on USDA, DOE, and NIST-funded projects, and authored high-impact papers in journals like Food Hydrocolloids, Journal of Dairy Science, and Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies . His interdisciplinary work spans molecular food structure, microbial inactivation, and functional ingredient delivery. He also actively mentors students, reviews research grants, and presents at global conferences . His vision combines science, sustainability, and health to revolutionize food processing.
Conclusion
Dr. Jerish Joyner Janahar is a highly deserving candidate for the Innovative Research Award, backed by his pioneering work in high-pressure food processing technologies, extensive peer-reviewed publications, and active contribution to the scientific community through editorial and mentoring roles.
Publication
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Title: Effects of pressure, shear, temperature, and their interactions on selected milk quality attributes
Authors: JJ Janahar, A Marciniak, VM Balasubramaniam, R Jimenez-Flores, E Ting
Year: 2021
Citations: 42
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Title: Influence of water activity and acidity on Bacillus cereus spore inactivation during combined high pressure-thermal treatment
Authors: J Xu, JJ Janahar, HW Park, VM Balasubramaniam, AE Yousef
Year: 2021
Citations: 23
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Title: Pressure, shear, thermal, and interaction effects on quality attributes of pea–dairy protein colloidal dispersions
Authors: JJ Janahar, VM Balasubramaniam, R Jimenez-Flores, OH Campanella, et al.
Year: 2022
Citations: 14
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Title: Impact of ultra-shear technology on quality attributes of model dairy-pea protein dispersions with different fat levels
Authors: JJ Janahar, VM Balasubramaniam, R Jiménez-Flores, OH Campanella, et al.
Year: 2023
Citations: 4
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Title: Inactivation of Lactobacillus brevis cells and Bacillus cereus spores as influenced by pressure, shear, thermal, and valve geometry
Authors: JJ Janahar, J Xu, VM Balasubramaniam, A Yousef, E Ting
Year: 2023
Citations: 3