About us
Dr. Elhadi M. Yahia (Mexico) 
Food Science & Post-harvest Handling (Professor and leader of the laboratory) B.Sc. from the University of Tripoli, Libya, M.Sc. from the University of California, Davis, and Ph.D. from Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
Currently: professor at the University of Querétaro, Mexico, where he teaches, conducts research and supervises graduate students on “postharvesttechnology, food Science and technology, and human nutrition”. He is also a Courtesy Professor at the Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, USA. Has been a visiting professor at several universities in Mexico and several other countries.
Taught courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, supervised more than 40 post-doctoral fellows and graduate students (Ph.D. and M.Sc.), and presented more than 200 invited lectures at several institutions in more than 30 countries in North, Central and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Conducted intensive courses and training programs for different food associations, producers, packers, distributors, exporters, and government personnel in several countries in four continents.
Published 8 books in English, Spanish, and Arabic, and more than 150 book chapters and articles, on biology, chemistry, nutrition, technology and handling of perishable food crops.
Consultant to several organizations and companies such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), the World Bank, World Food Logistics Organization (WFLO), USAID, USDA, the International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses (IARW), Winrock International, HTS Development, Arcadis Euroconsult, Ronco Consulting, Nitec, CIMO, Mayan Fresh Produce, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA, India). Member of Sigma Xi, the Mexican Academy of Sciences, the New York Academy of Sciences, the Mexican National Research System (SNI), The Mexican Federal Commission for the Protection Against Health Risks, the Steering Committee on Basic Sciences of the National Science and Technology Council of Mexico, and several other national and international organizations.
Dr. Armando Carrillo-Lopez (Mexico)
(Sabbatical leave, during the period of January to December, 2008, from the Autonomous University of Sinaloa)
Education: Doctorate in Biotechnology of Plants. CINVESTAV-IPN, Irapuato.1996-2003. M. Sc. in Nutrition and Food. Area. Science and Technology of Fruits and Vegetables, CIAD, A. C. 1988-1991. B. Sc. in Biochemical Food Engineering. Technological Institute of Culiacán. 1983-1988. Titular and Full-Time Professor-Researcher, level ¨C¨.
Affiliations: Member of the National Academy of Scientists (SNI), level I, period 2008-2010. Reviewerof scientific manuscripts for Lebensmittel-Wissenchaft und – Technologie (LWT), and Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Publications: 20 publications (9 scientific articles, 5 memories ‘in extenso’, 5 abstracts, 2 books, 2 article of scientific divulgation).
Congress presentations: 18 (5 international, 13 domestics).
Experience as Lecturer: Master in science courses: Plant physiology, Postharvest handling of fruit and vegetables.
Experience as thesis director: 7 thesis (4 of M. Sc., 3 of B. Sc.).
Lines of research: Postharvest technology and physiology of fruits and vegetables. Chemistry and Biochemistry of horticultural crops and fruit ripening.
Most recent experience as researcher: Identification and quantification of phenolic compounds and carotenoids in fruits and vegetables by means of HPLC coupled to Mass Spectrometry.
Most recent peer-reviewed publication: Corral-Aguayo, Rene D.; Yahia, Elhadi M.; Carrillo-Lopez, Armando; Gonzalez-Aguilar, Gustavo. Correlation between Some Nutritional Components and the Total Antioxidant Capacity Measured with Six Different Assays in Eight Horticultural Crops. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2008, 56(22):10498-10504.
Job address: Maestría en Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos, Facultad de Ciencias Químico Biológicas (FCQB). Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa (UAS) Ciudad Universitaria, Apdo. Postal 1354 C. P. 80000 Culiacán, Sin. México. Telephone: 52 (667) 7136615. E-mail: acarrill@uas.uasnet.mx”
Dr. José de Jesús Ornelas-Paz (Mexico)
Professor and research scientist at the Research Center for Food and Development (CIAD).
Education: Doctorate in Food Science (Laboratory of Phytochemicals and Nutrition Autonomous University of Querétaro-CIAD, 2007). M.S. Food Science and Technology (Laboratory of Phytochemicals and Nutrition Autonomous University of Querétaro, 2002). B.S. in Biochemical Engineering (Technological Institute of Morelia, 2000).
Research lines: Preservation of fruits and vegetables by technologies such as heat treatments and modified atmosphere packaging. Qualitative and quantitative studies of the phytochemicals and nutritive compounds (phenolic acids, flavonoids, capsaicinoids, carotenoids, capsaicinoids, tocopherols, ascorbic acid, polisacharides and sugars) in foods as a function of postharvest ripening, genotype, storage conditions, preservation technologies and domestic and industrial processing. Gastrointestinal stability and bioavailability of functional compounds by in vitro and animal models. Development of methods for analysis of compounds in fruits and vegetables by liquid and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry.
Other information: Technical assistant of Dr. Elhadi M. Yahia (2000-2007). Member of the National System of Researchers (SNI 1, 2009-2011). Fourteen publications. Eight congress presentations. E-mail. jornelas@ciad.mx, chuyjjop@hotmail.com.
Dr. Nagwa Salih (Sudan)
Research Scientist (Assistant professor), Forestry Research Centre, SUDAN.
Education: B.Sc in Forestry from University of Khartoum, SUDAN (1991), M.Sc and Ph.D in Ecology and Environmental Research from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SWEDEN (1995 and 2001).
Dr. Nagwa Salih has been awarded a TWAS fellowship for Research and Advanced training to spend one year (from May 2009 to April 2010) at the Phytochemistry and Nutrition Laboratory. Dr. Salih has jointed Prof. Yahia`s research team to work on the nutritional importance of wild food in Eastern Nuba Mountains, Sudan. The project aims at studying the chemical composition of some of the indigenous wild food in Nuba Mountains and relates that to human nutrition and health.
Dr. Dulce M. Rivera Pastrana (Mexico)
Education: Doctorate in Science from the Research Center for Food and Development A.C. (CIAD. A.C.), Hermosillo, Son (2010). Master of Science (2005) in Molecular Biology at the Institute for Scientific and Technological Research of San Luis Potosi (IPICYT). Food Engineer (2003) at the Faculty of Chemistry of the Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi.
Research interests: Phytochemical characterization of vegetal origin food products, analysis of antioxidant capacity and pigment contents of fruit during ripening. Effect of maturity and postharvest technologies on physiological and biochemical changes of tropical fruits.
Present activity: Research assistant and coordinator of Phytochemicals and Nutrition laboratory.
M.Sc. Catalina Gonzalez-Nava (Mexico)
Education: B.Sc. in Biochemical Engineering. Technological Institute of Celaya (1999-2003).
Professional experience: As Promoter of environmental projects at the Ecology Municipal Institute of Celaya (2004-2005). As director of Management and Planning for Sustainable Development Department (2005-2008).
Present activity: M.Sc. Student in the Biotic Resources Program of the Natural Sciences Faculty from the Autonomous University of Queretaro (FCN-UAQ). Thesis Project: Physicochemical Characterization of Garambullo Fruit (Myrtillocactus geometrizans). This thesis is being developed at the Laboratory of Phytochemicals and Human Nutrition of the FCN-UAQ.
M.Sc. Laura Elizabeth Gayosso García Sancho (Mexico)
(Ph.D. student, legayosso@hotmail.com)
B.Sc in Biochemical Food Engineering, Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM).
M.Sc. in Technology of Food of Vegetable Origin, Research Center for Food and Development A.C. (CIAD), Hermosillo, Sonora, México. Professor-Researcher at “Centro de Estudios Superiores del Estado de Sonora (CESUES)” in Hermosillo, Sonora, México.
Currently a Ph. D. student at Research Center for Food and Development A.C. (CIAD), under the direction of Prof. Gustavo Gonzalez-Aguilar. Her research thesis focuses on the evaluation of the antioxidant and antiproliferative capacity of extracts of papaya fruit (Carica papaya L.) at different stages of maturity.
M.C. Hugo Palafox-Carlos (Mexico)
(Ph.D. student, hugopalafox@yahoo.com)
Education: He obtained the degree of 
Biotechnologist Engineer (2005) at the Institute of technology of Sonora (ITSON, Cd. Obregon, Son). He has a Master of Science in Biotechnology (2008) at the Northwest Biological Researching Center (CIBNOR, La Paz, BCS). In both bachelor and master thesis he worked in the development of innovative technology for processing seafood ad marine protein sources. Currently he is a Ph. D. student at the Center for Food Research and Development A.C. (CIAD. A.C. Hermosillo, Son). His research area is focused on biochemical and molecular evaluation of antioxidant phenolic compounds and their biosynthesis during the ripening of mango “ataulfo”. He is planning to spend around three months (June – August 2010) at Dr. Yahia’s (who also serves as member of his Ph.D. committee) laboratory of Phytochemicals and Nutrition to identify and quantify the phenolic compounds in mango at different ripening stages.
Additional information: Professional experience as a food manufacturing plant designer and worked as production supervisor in Nutrimar (aquaculture feed producer). Also he labored as a teacher in food biochemical courses at ITSON. He has two publications and two awards in international congresses.
MSc. Fabiola Gutiérrez-Orozco (Mexico)
Education: MSc in Human Ecology with Education: MSc in Human Ecology with Specialization in Human Nutrition (The Ohio State University, 2008), and BSc in Agro-Industrial Engineering (Autonomous University of Chapingo, Mexico, 2003). Professional Experience: Nutrition specialist and product developer at Nestlé Product Development Center, Marysville, OH, USA, 2009. Research Lines: MSc thesis research included the analysis of the anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties of green and black tea extracts and their catechins on gastric cancer using an in vitro model. The anti-cancer activity of chokeberry anthocyanins on a colon cancer in vitro model was also analyzed. Currently the coordinator of the Phytochemicals and Nutrition laboratory.
IBQ. Francisco Javier Esparza Martínez (México).
Education: B.Sc. in Biochemical Engineering. Technological Institute of Celaya (2002-2006).
Present activity: M.Sc. at the Technological Institute of Celaya, carrying a research project on “Physicochemical Characterization and Evaluation of the Antioxidant Capacity and Glucemiant of Pitahaya Fruit (Hylocereus spp.)”. This project is being developed in the Phytochemicals and Nutrition Laboratory at UAQ in Queretaro, Mexico in collaboration with Dr. Cristina Perez from the Technological Institute of Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico.
IBQ. Braulio Cervantes Paz (México).
Education: B.Sc. in Biochemical Engineering at The Higher Technological Institute of Irapuato (2004-2008).
Present activity: M.Sc. student at the Research Center for Food and Development A. C. (CIAD), Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, México. He planned to spend three months at the Phytochemicals and Nutrition laboratory, carrying a research project on “The effect of maturity and thermal processing on carotenoids profile of Jalapeño pepper”.
Marco Antonio Moreno-Perez (Mexico)
Biology student in the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro. Currently carrying a research project on extraction y quantification of antioxidants in several species of wild mushrooms from Laguna de Servin Amealco Queretaro. This project is being developed in the Phytochemicals and Nutrition laboratory.
Edgar Armando Salinas-Martinez (Mexico)
(B.Sc. student)
Currently a B.Sc. student on software engineering at the Faculty of Informatics of the Autonomous University of Queretaro. His interests are in the development of software, technology of business intelligence, programming tools and interaction with business leaders. He collaborates at the Laboratory of Phytochemicals and Nutrition as Webmaster, and in maintaining laboratory equipments.
