Lab Members
Our team members are at the core of what makes Research Lab such a unique and fulfilling place to work. We take pride in the diversity of our staff, with each member contributing their unique skills to the projects we are working on.
Itay Maoz
PI
Itay is a PI in the department of postharvest science at the Volcani Center, ARO, Israel. His research focuses on developing methods to enhance the production and accumulation of secondary metabolites in fruits and vegetables. He is particularly interested in understanding the molecular and cellular barriers governing the production of metabolites with nutritional, sensorial, and health-promoting properties.
Kasipandi (Kasi) Muniyandi
Postdoctoral fellow (Ph.D.)
Kasi completed his Ph.D. in Botany (specialization in phytochemistry, nutraceuticals, and pharmacology) from Bharathiar University, India. His research mainly focused on analyzing plant compounds' bioactivity, nutritional properties, and food chemistry using in vitro and in vivo models. Currently, he is working on the health-promoting properties and metabolomics of fruits using HPLC, LC-MS, and GC-MS.
Annu Kumari
Postdoc fellow (Ph.D.)
I completed my PhD in the field of plant metabolomics and molecular biology from Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR), India. My research focused on the establishment of non-invasive technology to enhance the pharmaceutically important secondary metabolites production in the medicinal plants. Currently, I am working on metabolic reprogramming in fruit under abiotic stress condition
Leanne Salto
PhD Student
B.Sc in Food Science and Technology from Tel Hai College.
M.Sc student in Food science and Nutrition at Hebrew University.
Her current research is on new red pomelit variety ‘Redson’, the main focus on this study is to examine the bitterness of the ‘Redson’ fruit.
I completed my BSc. in food and nutrition from San Diego State University and holds an MSc. in biochemistry, food science, and nutrition at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. My current research is focused on enhancing grape pomace extractions as a post-harvest treatment against fungal decay.
PhD Student
Dana Meilich
Mercy Tiony
M.Sc. Student
Mercy holds a Bachelor's in Food Science and Technology from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. She is currently pursuing an M.Sc. in Nutritional Sciences at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. My Current research is to study the impact of unique flavor chemotypes on the acceptance of fruits.
Magelela Madida
M.Sc. Student
Magelela holds a BSc. in Family and Consumer Sciences from Sokoine University of Agriculture. He is pursuing an MSc in Nutrition Sciences at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His current research is focused on investigating the chemical composition that gives fruits within the Rosaceae family their distinctive flavors and aromas.
Ma'ayan Golozar
M.Sc. Student
Ma'ayan holds a B.Sc. in Biotechnology from Bar-Ilan University. She is pursuing her M.Sc. in Environmental Biology at Bar-Ilan University in collaboration with Volcani Center, working jointly with the labs of Dr. Itay Maoz and Dr. Dani Eshel. Her research focuses on dormancy and growth regulation in potato tubers, aiming to better understand the mechanisms that govern these processes.
Graduated Students and Alumni
Dr. Krishna Kumar (2024) - postdoctoral fellowship
M.Sc. Stav Filipoviz (2024)
M.Sc. Tereza Ng'ambi (2024) - Magna cum laude