Dr. Achyut Adhikari

Dr. Adhikari earned his Ph.D. degree in Food Science with an emphasis on Food Microbiology from the Washington State University. Currently, he is leading his food safety research group at Louisiana State University.

 

Ivannova Lituma

Ivannova earned her B.Sc. in Food Science and Technology from Zamorano University in Honduras in 2020 and her M.S. in Nutrition and Food Sciences from Louisiana State University (LSU) in 2023. During her senior year as an undergraduate, she completed an internship in Dr. Adhikari’s lab, where she evaluated the effectiveness of air bubbles during washing to dislodge microorganisms from bell peppers and cucumbers. She also contributed to start the farm worker hygiene training provided in Spanish and the Farmers Market training. Currently, she is a third-year Ph.D. student in the School of Nutrition and Food Sciences at LSU. Her research focuses on hydroponic food safety, specifically evaluating strategies to improve the microbial safety of hydroponic production systems. In addition to her research, she actively participates in the lab’s extension and outreach initiatives.

 

Sheetal Jha

Sheetal completed her Bachelor's and Master’s in Pharmaceutical technology from India. Following graduation, she went on to earn a second M.S. degree in Dairy and Food Science from South Dakota State University in 2023. Her research interests are focused on developing a natural bio-sanitizer for the mitigation of biofilm from food contact surfaces, specifically separation membranes. Additionally, Sheetal has volunteered as a lab manager and lab safety committee member in the dairy microbiology lab at SDSU. She is currently working towards her Ph.D. in the Department of Food Science and Technology at Louisiana State University, starting in fall 2023.

 

Aakankshya Dhakal

Aakankshya is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Food Science at Louisiana State University. Her research focuses on food safety, food microbiology, and the development of sustainable packaging materials. Currently, she is investigating bacterial cellulose-based films and coatings for antimicrobial food packaging and assessing their biodegradability under different environmental conditions. Aakankshya earned her B.Tech in Biotechnology from VIT University, India, in 2022. During her undergraduate studies, she conducted research on the qualitative, quantitative, and microbial analysis of traditionally fermented foods of Nepal. She completed her M.Sc. in Food Science and Technology at Louisiana State University, where her master’s research focused on the incorporation of silver nanoparticles into bacterial cellulose to enhance its antimicrobial properties.

 

Daniel Leiva

Daniel earned his B.Sc. in Food Science and Technology from Zamorano University, Honduras in 2022 and his M.S. in Plant and Soil Sciences from Louisiana State University in 2025. He came to Dr. Adhikari's lab as an intern during his college senior year in 2022. Participating in various research, and extension and outreach activities ignited his passion for food safety and extension. Currently he is a PhD student in the School of Nutrition and Food Sciences at LSU. His research interests revolve around fresh produce safety during pre- and post harvest stages of production with a focus on risk assessment and mitigation practices to provide stakeholders with practical solutions for the challenges they face.

 

Carissa Wagner

Carissa is a Biochemistry major with a minor in Human Nutrition, currently researching the bioactive properties of herbal and green tea Kombucha, including the effects of additives like spices and fruits. Since summer 2024, she has worked in Dr. Adhikari’s lab, assisting PhD students with experimental execution, media preparation, and lab maintenance. Her hands-on experience in research methodology and lab operations complements her academic focus on the intersection of biochemistry and nutrition.

 

Jonathan L Nguyen

Jonathan is currently pursuing his bachelor's in nutrition sciences with a concentration in pre-medicine at LSU. He is working as a lab assistant, while also running his own research project involving probiotics and their anti-microbial properties against foodborne pathogenic organisms. He enjoys food safety as he believes that you shouldn't be scared to enjoy all the different foods the world has to offer.