Plants for Human Health Institute

Institute research will focus on identifying and making available to consumers bioactive compounds in plants that prevent and treat disease.

[9] The institute's mission is to discover and deliver plant-based solutions to improve human health, PHHI researchers target naturally occurring chemical compounds in plants and fresh produce, known as phytochemicals, some of which convey health-promoting properties when ingested.

In 2013, Dr. Lila was a lead researcher in a study involving athletes ingesting blueberry and green tea-infused drinks twice daily during a two-week supplementation period and then for three days of rigorous exercise.

[25] The Plant Pathways Elucidation Project, or P2EP, was a $1.9 million program that engaged college students across North Carolina in education and research.

Operated from June 2013 to December 2019, the program was supported by a consortium of academic and industry organizations, including the Plants for Human Health Institute.

[26] The N.C. State Extension houses a multidisciplinary team at the N.C. Research Campus as part of the Plants for Human Health Institute.

The research campus represents an effort by the state of North Carolina to revitalize the region following the decline of the textile industry.

[1] PHHI research programs have also received significant grant funding support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation[16] and the National Institutes of Health.

The Plants for Human Health Institute building at the N.C. Research Campus, Kannapolis, N.C.
Penelope Perkins - Veazie, post harvest physiologist with PHHI, evaluates food safety, quality and consumer-appeal characteristics, like flavor and color, for fruits and vegetables.
The Plants for Human Health Institute greenhouse complex in Kannapolis, N.C.
N.C. Cooperative Extension personnel, like Diane Ducharme (second from left), work with researchers in areas including postharvest handling of fresh produce at N.C. State University's Plants for Human Health Institute in Kannapolis, N.C.
The N.C. Research Campus