Research Experience

Research Interest

Shashank’s research interest is to develop food-based solutions to address the problem of malnutrition in developing countries. His long-term goal is to enable such bench level concepts and technologies reach populations in the most remote subsistence marketplaces, through his knowledge and experience in the field of food business and marketing.

Current Projects

Functional lipid-based nutrient supplements to address moderate acute malnutrition in Indian children

Advisor: Dr. Juan Andrade, Ph.D.                               

Degree: Ph.D., Food Science and Human Nutrition, UIUC

  • Designed a lipid-based nutrient supplement using Indian ingredients, and characterized and optimized the formulation for stability using response surface methodology.
  • Conducted a consumer acceptability test for the developed product with 25 Indian mothers and 80 students.
  • Analyzed IC50 dosage for oregano essential oil and carvacrol against Cryptosporidium parvum using in-vitro cell culture model.
  • Currently designing an encapsulation strategy to improve the stability of bioactive and achieve controlled delivery under simulated gut conditions.

Iron fortified spiced vinegar to improve the iron status of non-pregnant non-lactating women in Philippines

Advisor: Dr. William Helferich, Ph.D.                          

Project: New Pathways to Enterprise, Philippines

  • Conducted field interviews with 25 Filipino women (Bacolod, PH) and 110 students for demographic analysis and assessment of consumer behavior.
  • Facilitated a consumer acceptability test for spiced vinegar fortified with ferrous sulfate, fumarate, gluconate, NaFeEDTA.
  • Assessed the storage stability of fortified vinegar under accelerated storage conditions.

Past Projects

Development of millet-based iron fortified extruded products and in-vivo assessment of iron bioavailability

Chairman: Dr. R. Viswanathan, Ph.D.                         

Degree: M.Tech, Food Processing, and Marketing, TNAU, India

  • Optimized the extruder parameters and developed iron fortified millet based extruded products.
  • Analyzed the physicochemical properties of developed products and conducted storage and sensory analysis
  • Assessed iron bioavailability using in-vivo

Effect of Indian tea (Chai – tea with milk) on iron absorption

Advisor: Dr. Dennis D. Miller, Ph.D.                           

Degree: MPS, Food Science and Technology, Cornell University

  • Elucidated the effect of the addition of milk to tea (Indian tea) on iron absorption using in-vitro model, by simulation of gastrointestinal conditions.
  • Analyzed the data, provided suggestions and compiled the research findings into a report. Presented a scientific poster and published a peer reviewed research paper.
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PhD, Food Science and Human Nutrition