Check Out Dr. Ilce Medina’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Ilce Medina. Them and their team share their story with us below:

Food and Health Engineering Laboratory (FHEL) – Michigan State University We are a multi-disciplinary research group from the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at Michigan State University. We specialize in the omics areas: lipidomics, metabolomics, and processomics, to understand how oxidation and oxidative stress affect crucial molecules in life, such as cholesterol, and what the effects of it are on human health. Our strongest skill is our lab’s #diversity. Our people are from around the WORLD, and our leaders are all #WomenInStem with very particular and interesting stories. 

FHEL founder is Dr. Ilce Gabriela Medina-Meza from Veracruz, Mexico. FHEL’s post-docs are Dr. Aline Priscilla Gomes da Silva from Paraiba, Brazil; and Dr. Lisaura Maldonado-Pereira from San Juan, Puerto Rico. 

Ilce Gabriela Medina-Meza, PhD 

My name is Ilce Gabriela Medina-Meza. I was born in Orizaba (Mexico), under the gaze of the volcano Citlaltépetl. My passion for science guided me to get my B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Chemical Engineering at the Technical Institute of Orizaba. I moved to the Technical Institute of Veracruz (Mexico) to complete my Ph.D. in Food Science under the guidance of Dr. Hugo Garcia. During my dissertation, I spent three years (2006-2009) in Prof. Lercker’s lab at the University of Bologna (Italy), a leading research team in the chemistry of lipid oxidation. After successfully finishing my Ph.D., I moved back to Mexico, where I worked at ITESO (Guadalajara) as Associate Professor. A couple of years later, I moved to the US as a postdoc in Dr. Barbosa-Canovas’s (2012-2014) and Dr. Ganjyal’s (2014-2016) labs at Washington State University, where she specialized in both nonthermal and thermal food processing. Since December 2016, I have been an Assistant Professor in the Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Department at MSU, with additional adjunct appointments in the Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Food Science programs. 

I am a mom of 3 energetic kids, and I share my scientific enthusiasm with my husband, who is also a researcher at MSU. I love to cook, listen to music, travel, and spend time with my family. 

Lisaura Maldonado-Pereira, PhD 

My name is Lisaura Maldonado-Pereira, and I’m a USDA NIFA AFRI Post-doctoral fellow at Michigan State University. I’m originally from Puerto Rico. Born and raised in San Juan, the capital. Completed my bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez Campus (#SangreVerde!). Right after graduation, I started my Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering in 2014 at Michigan State University. 

I joined the FHEL in 2018 after spending the first three years of my Ph.D. working in a different research area. Transitioning from renewable energy to a food engineering set was tough and challenging. I had to recover the first three years of work in one semester to keep my established graduation date. In May 2021, I defended my dissertation and graduated with a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and a dual degree in Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering. 

In my current position as a post-doc, I lead my project as an independent researcher while I’m also in charge of certain laboratory management tasks. With my co-worker, Dr. Aline da Silva, I oversee most of the FHEL’s daily activities, mentor all our undergraduate students, and collaborate on other ongoing projects to represent the FHEL. 

Besides my research work, I have worked as a teaching assistant, a role I love since I work close to students and help them and guide them through their academic journey. Another role that has made me feel fulfilled is my position as a research mentor. As a mentor, I get to share my knowledge with my pupils and help them to define their career and professional goals. The best feeling is to see your students succeed and become professionals and better human beings. 

Aline Priscilla Gomes da Silva, PhD 

My name is Aline Priscilla Gomes da Silva. My hometown is Joao Pessoa, the capital city of Paraiba (Northeast Brazil). This city enchants tourists with fantastic beaches, crystal clear sea, beautiful historic sites, and tempting cuisine. Moreover, this city, located at the eastern end of the Americas, is always the first to see the sunrise (around five in the morning) and the first to see the sunset (around five in the afternoon). Despite being born in a beach town, I always went on vacation to Paraiba – a small country city and my mom’s hometown city. This place influenced me and made me decide at a young age to get my bachelor’s degree in Agronomic Engineering. I developed a deep connection and passion for this field that guided me to pursue higher educational degrees. During my Master’s degree, in 2013, I met my husband, and we decided to move out to Sao Paulo to pursue our Ph.D. at the University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo state (Southeast Brazil). I was fortunate to receive the São Paulo Research Foundation funding opportunity that enabled completing my Ph.D. at Texas A&M University (2016-2017). In 2018, my husband came to East Lansing for his Ph.D., and since then, we have been living in East Lansing, Michigan. Last but not least, I am a proud mom of two beautiful girls. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Ilce Gabriela Medina-Meza, PhD. 

As a first generation of academic professional, things have been very challenging. Being a woman in STEM, a male-dominated field has been always a struggle, but a couple of years back, it was even harder. I moved to Italy all by myself and started working in a new environment with new people with different views and different life experiences. I experienced a cultural shock after moving to a new continent and felt forced to learn a new language since I wanted to be a successful scientist performing meaningful research work. Besides all these ups and downs, I’m forever grateful for these experiences that shaped me, allowed me to become the person and professional I am right now, and even gave me my beautiful family, which I adore with all my heart. 

Lisaura Maldonado-Pereira, PhD 

It has not been a smooth road… at all. First, as a beach lover-Caribbean girl, I struggled big time with the weather change here in Michigan. Everything was new to me, and it took me a considerable amount of time to get used to Michigan’s winter. I looked like an Eskimo walking through the snow during my first year. It has got better, though… Now, I just wear two layers of clothes. lol 

In terms of my career, I started my Ph.D. in a project that I really liked and enjoyed. Unfortunately, many “common academia issues” forced me to switch to a different laboratory. After three years of hard work on my first project, I started “from scratch” in the FHEL with a new project related to a totally different research area. I had to recover those first three years of work in just a semester and start to get prepared to defend my dissertation in less than four years. It was a CHALLENGE, but I’m grateful to my boss, Dr. Medina-Meza, for always believing in me and supporting me throughout this entire process. She was my model and support during those difficult times in a new country, alone, with no family to help me. 

But as the saying goes, “hard work pays off”: I ended up with not only 1 but 2 Ph.D. degrees. Right after graduation, I was awarded the USDA NIFA AFRI Post-doctoral Fellowship, which provided me with full funding and enabled me to lead my own project as a post-doctoral researcher. 

Aline Priscilla Gomes da Silva, PhD 

On this incredible road that I started in 2007, living so far from my family is the most struggle thing I have gone through. On the other hand, my family is supportive, proud, and understanding of my choices. 

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Ilce Gabriela Medina-Meza, Ph.D.

Currently, I’m an assistant professor in the Biosystem and Agricultural Engineering Department at MSU. My research interests are focused on analyzing the effects of oxidative stress on the peroxidation of lipids and steroids. The goals of our laboratory are to elucidate molecular mechanisms governing oxidative stress and to translate our findings to develop biomarkers for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases). Current projects are focused on 1) developing drug modulators of cholesterol oxidation to damp inflammation in cardiovascular disease, 2) metabolomic mapping of oxysterols and other lipid peroxides for risk assessment in highly susceptible populations, 3) Fingerprinting of plant secondary metabolites and understanding its role in life processes. 

As a food and chemical engineer, I am a member of the ASABE, IFT, and European Network for Oxysterols Research (ENOR). Also, a member of the Editorial Board of the Food Research International journal and a reviewer for several peer-reviewed journals in the area, including LWT-Food Science and Technology, Food Chemistry, Food, and Bioprocess Technology, and the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, among others. 

Lisaura Maldonado-Pereira, PhD 

I’m a USDA NIFA AFRI Post-doc Fellow working on the metabolomic analysis of ultra-processed foods from the Western diet (WD) and their nutritional quality. My research interest is focused on evaluating the mechanism of lipid oxidation compounds obtained through the WD and elucidating their relationship with different chronic diseases such as obesity, cancer, and cardiometabolic disorders, among others. 

I consider myself a “people person”; therefore, I really enjoy a comfortable work environment where I get to meet new people while expanding my network and feel that my work has a direct impact on the community. 

Aline Priscilla Gomes da Silva, PhD 

I started my B.Sc. degree in Agronomic Engineering in 2007 at the Federal University of Paraiba, Northeast Brazil. I got my degree in 2011, and after that, I started my Master’s degree in Food Science and Technology at the same university, which I finalized in 2014. In 2014, my life completely changed. For the first time, I moved out of Paraiba to Sao Paulo state (Southeast Brazil) and started my Ph.D. in Crop Science in 2014 at the University of Sao Paulo (USP-ESALQ). In November of the same year, I got my funding from FAPESP (São Paulo Research Foundation), Brazil’s most competitive funding agency. It was a crucial opportunity because it allowed me to achieve an Inter-University doctorate exchange at Texas A&M University, USA (2016-2017). After finalizing my Ph.D. in the Summer of 2018, I moved to East Lansing, Michigan to support my husband in his Ph.D. Inter-University doctorate exchange at Michigan State University. 

I worked as Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow at Michigan State University (MSU) under Dr. Randolph Beaudry but I’m currently, a postdoc in the FHEL in the MSU Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering. 

My background education and research work fall under the Plant Sciences and Food Science areas. I have been publishing about natural products’ chemical composition, characterization of bioactive compounds, and their postharvest behavior. At the moment, I am working on a project funded by the NIFA-USDA. This project aims to analyze the impact of a new horticultural technique called early leaf removal and how it impacts the color of grapes cultivars in a cool-climate region such as Michigan. 

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc.?
Ilce Gabriela Medina-Meza, Ph.D.

My favorite book is microbe hunter by Paul de Kruif, it open my curiosity and interest in science even though I didn’t end up studying microbe. It is a book that I highly encourage reading, especially for young people. Also, I enjoy listening to classical music while working because it helps me focus and motivates me to complete my daily tasks. 

Lisaura Maldonado-Pereira, PhD 

My boyfriend makes fun of me for listening daily to my horoscope podcast while driving home (I’m a Virgo!). I’m not a full believer, but I like to listen to the positive thoughts and good vibes I can get early in the morning from it. Every other day I listen to TED talks and Science vs Facts Podcast during lunch. I find fascinating the platform given to people to tell their own stories – which people can resonate with them – and to share the outcome learned through the process that can help the listener. 

Aline Priscilla Gomes da Silva, PhD 

In my career, I enjoyed reading scientific sites/blogs about health topics, horticulture, and analytical science. On the other hand, outside the job, during my free time, I have been reading books about famous people’s biographies and reading/watching Asian content. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.egr.msu.edu/ilcehealth/
• Instagram: /foodandhealthlab
• Facebook: /FoodandHealthE
• Twitter: /FoddandHealthE1
• Youtube: /@foodhealthengineeringlab5668