Science Team

science team

Science is at the root of our innovative solutions.

In addition to informing the design of our solutions and client-specific programs, our science team works closely with federal and state regulators, as well as national and regional associations to develop food safety best practices and metrics for leafy greens as well as other perishable food commodities.

Claire Zoellner Science Team

Claire Zoellner

PhD

Claire is a Product Manager/Food Safety Scientist at iFoodDS, using her expertise in microbial contamination, simulation models, and risk assessment to develop and deliver pragmatic, science-based decision support tools for the food industry. Prior to iFoodDS, Claire held a Postdoctoral Research appointment at Cornell University working on modeling tools to address the risk of Listeria contamination in frozen foods. Claire holds a B.S. in Food Science and Human Nutrition from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology with minors in Epidemiology and Systems Engineering from Cornell University.

Adolfo Grajales

Adolfo Grajales

MSc

Adolfo supports the development and support of software solutions on food safety process control practices and prediction models for food production as well as client operations training in the United States, Mexico and South America. Adolfo is a passionate and committed biotechnologist with experience in bioprocesses, molecular biology, optical biosensors, synthesis of organic nanoparticles, data analysis and food safety for fresh produce operations. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education and a Master of Sciences from the École Normale Supérieure Paris – Saclay.

Helen Bekris

Helen Bekris

MPH

Helen earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Washington where she studied the effects of shore development on the microbial content of rural lakes. She went on to earn her Master of Public Health from the University of Arizona with a focus in Environmental and Occupational Health. While at Arizona, she researched heavy metal exposure from well water in rural Arizona. Helen joined iFoodDS in 2013. Since joining iFoodDS, she has completed several research projects focusing on food safety and industry practices. Currently, Helen works with our Operations teams to implement new customers into the iFoodDS ecosystem.

Melissa Storm

Melissa Storm

MSc

Melissa is a Senior Data Analyst. Her qualifications include 6 years of work experience in the produce technology industry along with a lifetime of produce industry experience through her family. She grew up in the Salinas Valley where her family has spent generations in the produce industry. She also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Statistical Science from UC Santa Barbara and a Master of Science degree in Applied Statistics from Cal State Long Beach. She specializes in curating data driven analytics solutions for a wide range of customer needs.