How can we better secure food safety from farm to fork?
The Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry invites you to a seminar by Dr. Dongyan Niu, University of Calgary.
Despite intensive control measures introduced to food processing facilities, the emergence and persistence of foodborne pathogens continually challenge the Canadian food safety system. Long-term goals of Dr. Niu’s research are aimed at obtaining new knowledge regarding emergence and dissemination of zoonotic pathogens in animal food production and to develop effective and sustainable antimicrobial strategies to sustain human, animal and environmental health. Dr. Niu will present her vision of Food Safety Program to be established in the Department of Food Science & Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences of McGill University. In addition, she will present her research achievements with focusing on bacteriophage-derived biocontrol strategy, Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli as well as bovine respiratory disease.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Dr. Niu is an Assistant Professor of Food Safety, who joined the Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Calgary in September 2017. Before joining the Faculty, she worked in Alberta Agriculture and Forestry (AF) as a Research Scientist (2012-2017) researching on virulence and persistence of foodborne pathogens in animal food production system as well as detection and prevention of multi-drug resistant bacterial pathogens that cause bovine respiratory disease in feedlot cattle. Dr. Niu gained doctoral degree in 2009 and received training of bacteriology, virology, biochemistry and biotechnology in Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and AF where she conducted a joint PhD program and postdoctoral fellowship with Drs. Tim McAllister and Kim Stanford. Her area of expertise includes food safety, bacteriophage genomics and biology, phage therapy, detection and biocontrol of zoonotic pathogens. In the past 10 years, she has published twenty-three peer-reviewed papers and two book chapters. Currently, Dr. Niu is leading 4 and co-investigating 5 externally funded research grants relevant to detection and control of foodborne pathogens, bacteriophage biology, antimicrobial resistance, colibacillosis, and bovine respiratory disease. Currently, she is also serving as adjunct professor at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary and Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta.
Dr Niu is a candidate for the position of Ian & Jayne Munro Chair in Food Safety.