Dr. V.M. “Bala” Balasubramaniam is a Professor of Food Engineering at The Ohio State University, within the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, Department of Food Science and Technology, and the Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering program. He specializes in research and outreach on advanced food processing and sanitation methods. Before joining Ohio State University in 2002, he served as an Associate Professor (Research) at the National Center for Food Safety and Technology, an industry-FDA-University consortium at the Illinois Institute of Technology (1995-2002). He also completed postdoctoral research at the University of Georgia from 1994 to 1995.
Dr. Bala’s research focuses on the development of innovative, sustainable advanced processing and sanitation technologies aimed at enhancing food safety, quality, and human health. His work contributes to the introduction of novel food processing techniques and sanitation methods for minimally processed foods, catering to modern consumer demands for products free from synthetic ingredients. Dr. Bala emphasizes multidisciplinary food engineering research, collaborating with microbiologists, chemists, technologists, and nutritionists from academia, government, and the food industry. He has mentored 12 postdoctoral researchers, 18 visiting scholars, 11 doctoral students, 17 master’s students, and 9 undergraduate students. Currently, he advises 4 doctoral students, 1 master’s student, and 1 research associate. Many of his lab alumni are now employed in the food industry or have pursued academic careers.
Dr. Bala (ORCID 0000-0002-1540-4273) has authored 138 peer-reviewed publications, 30 book chapters, 24 bulletins and technical reports, 6 food processor fact sheets, 6 patents/invention disclosures, and 5 webinars. He has also co-edited 4 books on food processing. In addition, Dr. Bala has delivered approximately 270 presentations at meetings organized by professional societies, universities, trade associations, and the food industry. According to Thomson Reuters’ Web of Science, Dr. Bala has an h-index of 41, with 5,762 citations (as of November 2024), and an h-index of 50 on Google Scholar. A recent survey by Stanford University recognized Dr. Bala as being among the world’s top 2% of scientists.
Dr. Bala has supported his research and industrial outreach through over $10.6 million in funding ($3.27 million between 2020-2024) from various federal and industrial competitive grant programs.
Contact Address.
V.M. (Bala) Balasubramaniam
Phone: 614 266 2760 Fax: 614 292 0218
E-mail: Balasubramaniam.1@osu.edu
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FoodSafetyEngr
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vmbala/