About
Dil Thavarajah is a professor at the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Clemson University. She leads the Pulse Quality and Nutritional Breeding program, developing organic pulse cultivars, and served as a Jefferson Science Fellow to build international agriculture and food security in the Middle Eastern Region at the US Agency for International Development (USAID). She is the 2022 FoodShot Global Award recipient for her career dedication to global food and nutritional security through pulse crop biofortification (Precision Protein Groundbreaker Prize). She is a recipient of the 2024-2025 Jefferson Science Fellowship from National Academy of Sciences. She established the "Going Organic Platform," an extension outreach education for our growers and consumers to educate on organic crop production and healthy food choices. Before her current role, Dil contributed to the Canadian lentil biofortification program at the University of Saskatchewan. She established the National Pulse Quality and Nutrition Laboratory at North Dakota State University, Fargo, to support the US Pulse industry's nutritional marketing efforts. Internationally recognized for her expertise in pulse biofortification, particularly for minerals (iron, zinc, and selenium), prebiotic carbohydrates, and proteins. She is a key research partner with the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), working to release biofortified lentil cultivars for Africa.
Visit Dr. Thavarajah's Faculty Profile.
How their research is transforming health care
Dr. Thavarajah is a passionate scientist seeking to understand the link between global food system and human health. She has established research programs on bio-fortification of pulse crops with micronutrients (minerals, carotenoids, and folates), and prebiotic carbohydrates to combat malnutrition, and obesity related non-communicable diseases. Her organic pulse breeding program has developed protein biofortified organic dry pea cultivars adapted to SC and global.
Health Research Expertise Keywords
Faculty Scholar, Organic Pulse Crops, Micronutrient Malnutrition, Obesity, Gut Health, Prebiotic Carbohydrates, Food Systems, Selenium, Sustainable Agriculture
