Yanhong He

Area(s) of Specialization

• Sustainable Food Ingredient Innovation.
• Byproduct Valorization.
• Plant Protein and Fiber Processing.
• Techno-Economic Analysis.

Bio Brief

Yanhong He joined the Department of Grain and Food Science at Kansas State University in January 2026 as an Assistant Professor specializing in sustainable ingredient technologies and food system innovation. Her research focuses on developing value-added proteins, fibers, and functional ingredients from crops and food-processing side streams. She applies techno-economic analysis to evaluate the scalability and impact of novel processing strategies, aiming to improve resource efficiency and support resilient food systems.

Before joining K‑State, Dr. He was a Senior Scientist at International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF), working on soy fiber valorization, plant protein innovation, and ingredient characterization. She previously conducted postdoctoral research at Cornell University on waste‑seashell valorization and thermally stable nutrient‑delivery systems. Dr. He earned her Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology from Virginia Tech, where she investigated the valorization of brewer’s spent grain, and earlier worked as a process engineer designing biogas and wastewater treatment systems. Her master’s research at China Agricultural University addressed microbial fuel cells for bioenergy production and biomass conversion.