Mary Anne Amalaradjou

Associate Professor

About

Mary Anne Amalaradjou, PhD is an associate professor of food microbiology in the Department of Animal Science at the University of Connecticut. She received her DVM from Pondicherry University and MSc from the Indian Veterinary Research Institute in India in 2002 and 2004, respectively. She then earned her PhD in food microbiology from the University of Connecticut in 2010.

Dr. Amalaradjou’s current research is targeted towards understanding pathogen survival and persistence along the food chain, their virulence attributes and the application of probiotics to control foodborne pathogens. She also studies the efficacy of currently applied hurdle technologies to reduce pathogen transmission from farm-to-fork. Beyond controlling pathogens in food systems, her research also investigates the potential application of probiotics as alternatives to antibiotics in poultry production and functional foods in the prevention of gut pathologies. Her research program is funded by intramural and extramural funding agencies including the Center for Produce Safety, USDA, NSF and the Foundation for Food and Agriculture. Through all aspects of her research, Dr. Amalaradjou’ s main objective is to improve food safety and promote public health. In the classroom, she teaches a graduate-level course on “Prebiotics and Probiotics” and undergraduate courses on “Food Microbiology and Safety” and “Scientific writing in Food Microbiology”. Besides research and teaching, she is passionate about mentoring the next generation with a strong focus on promoting equity and inclusivity in higher education. To this end, she currently serves as a UConn Connects mentor, Faculty Affiliate to the Office for Diversity and Inclusion and a Faculty Affiliate for Inclusive Excellence for the UConn Graduate School. Outside of UConn, Dr. Amalaradjou is actively involved with IAFP, IFT, ASM and PSA. Further, she also serves on expert committees including the US National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI) and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meetings on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA).  In May 2023, Dr. Amalaradjou was selected to serve as the University of Connecticut Provost’s DEIJ Faculty Fellow for the 2023-2024 academic term.

Education

  • PhD in Animal Science, University of Connecticut, 2010
  • MS in Animal Science,  University of Connecticut, 2009
  • MS in Animal Biochemistry, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, India, 2004
  • DVM, Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Veterinary Education and Research (RIVER) Pondicherry University, India, 2002

Academics

Courses Taught

  • ANSC 3318/5618. Probiotics and Prebiotics
  • ANSC 4697W. Undergraduate Honors Thesis Writing in Animal Science

In the News

    Mary Anne Amalaradjou
    Contact Information
    Emailmary_anne.amalaradjou@uconn.edu
    Phone860-486-6620
    CV View CV
    Office LocationOffice: George White Bldg., Room 212B | Lab: Room 007