PORTRAIT
ABOUT
Dr. Leili Afsah-Hejri
Food Safety Scientist · President, Wisconsin Association for Food Protection · Program Director, Food Safety & Quality, Lakeland University
Leili is a food safety and quality scientist with more than 25 years of experience across research labs, universities and food processing plants in Iran, Malaysia and the United States. Her work focuses on what makes food unsafe and how to detect and prevent it early: mycotoxins, foodborne pathogens and post-harvest quality.
She leads the Food Safety & Quality program at Lakeland University in Wisconsin, serves as President of the Wisconsin Association for Food Protection, and works with food companies on independent research, HACCP training and consulting.
HER STORY
From pistachio orchards to the Dairy State.
She grew up where aflatoxin in pistachios was a family problem, not a textbook one. That question has shaped nearly three decades of work.
1997
KARAJ, IRAN
First mycotoxin lab
Researched aflatoxins and ochratoxin A at the national standards institute and helped set up two regional mycotoxin labs.
2006
RAFSANJAN, IRAN
Founded a food technology department
Wrote the program proposal, built the curriculum and led the department for first-generation students.
2012
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
PhD in Food Safety, then postdoc
Universiti Putra Malaysia Food Safety Research Center. Co-supervised 15 students and worked with the Ministry of Health on milk safety.
2014
MERCED, CALIFORNIA
Industry: pistachio processing
2016
UC MERCED
Built a post-harvest lab from scratch
Co-PI on USDA and CDFA projects in ozone treatment and E-nose aflatoxin detection. Excellence in Research Award, 2020.
2023
LAKELAND UNIVERSITY, WISCONSIN
Program Director, Food Safety & Quality
Leads the FSQ program and serves as President of WAFP since December 2025.
WAFP ANNUAL MEETING
Wisconsin Association for Food Protection
Leading Wisconsin’s food protection community.
Dec 2025 –
President, WAFP
Leads the statewide affiliate of the International Association for Food Protection.
2023 – 2025
Vice President & President-Elect
Built partnerships across Wisconsin’s dairy and food industry.
Oct 2026
Host, WAFP Annual Meeting
Brought the meeting to Lakeland University with speakers from UW-Madison, the Center for Dairy Research, DATCP and Ecolab, and presented the Food Safety Leadership Award.
Apr 2026
Pasteurizer Operator Training
State-required workshop for about 100 dairy professionals, run with WAFP and DATCP.
EDUCATION
PhD, Food Safety — Universiti Putra Malaysia, 2012
MS, Food Science and Technology — Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, 2006
BS, Food Science and Technology — Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, 1999
AWARDS & HONORS
Excellence in Research Award, UC Merced Non-Senate Academics, 2020
Featured in agriculture magazines, 2019
Silver Medal, PRPI Research and Innovation Award, Malaysia, 2011
Scientific Committee Award, 1st Regional Congress of Food Industry, Iran, 2006
Honor Student Award, Shahid Beheshti University, 1999
SERVICE & MEMBERSHIPS
Journal reviewer for Food Control, ACS Sensors, Food and Chemical Toxicology, Journal of Food Composition and Analysis and others
Technical Review Committee, CDFA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
Scientific Committee, 2nd International Food Safety Conference, Kuala Lumpur
Member of IAFP, IFT and ISHS
ServSafe Food Protection Manager certified
Languages: English, Persian.
Have a food safety question?
Tell me about your product and timeline. I reply within two business days.