Dr. de Mejia conducts research in the areas of Food Chemistry, Food Biochemistry and Food Toxicology. Her research is focused on: food components with health benefits; analysis, characterization and mechanism of action of antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic compounds in foods (legumes, oilseeds, and vegetables). Dr de Mejia is currently working with bioactive proteins in different legume genotypes. She is investigating the role of genetic diversity and environmental conditions on the presence, concentration and physicochemical characteristics of the bioactive soybean seed proteins with biological potential against transformed human cells. Dr. de Mejia is also studying the health benefits of tea, in particular the molecular mechanisms underlying the biological effects of ethnic teas used in folk medicine to combat several disorders including cancer. This scientific study will introduce new materials to improve human health.
Selected Publications
Bergschneider, A., Chandra, S., de Mejia, E. 2006. Ethnic teas and their
bioactive components. From Hispanic Foods: Chemistry and Flavor.
Caleb, H. Gonzalez de Mejia, E. 2007. Yerba mate tea (Ilex paraguariensis):
a comprehensive review on chemistry, health implications and technological
considerations. J. Food Sci., 72 (9), 138-151.
Frias, J. Song, Y. S., Martínez-Villaluenga, C., González de Mejia, E.,
Vidal-Valverde, C. 2008. Immunoreactivity And Amino Acid Content Of Fermented
Soybean Products. J. Agric. Food Chem, 56 (1), 99–105.
González de Mejía, E., Chandra, S., Ramírez-Mares, M-V., Wang, W. 2006.
Catalytic inhibition of human DNA topoisomerase by phenolic compounds in
Ardisia compressa extracts and their effect on human colon cancer cells. Food
Chem. Tox., 44 (5): 1191-1203.
Nerissa Vaughn, Anthony Rizzo, Dolores Doane, J. Lee Beverly, Elvira
Gonzalez de Mejia. 2008. Intracerebroventricular administration of soy protein
hydrolysates reduces body weight without affecting food intake in rats. Food
Plants Human Nutr., 63(1):41-46.
Song, Y.-S., Frias, J., Martinez-Villaluenga, C., Vidal-Valdeverde, C.,
Gonzalez de Mejia, E. 2008. Development of hypoallergenic fermented soybean
products and their amino acid concentration. Food Chem., 108 (2): 571-581.
Tunick, M.H., Gonzalez de Mejia, E., Editors; ACS Symposium Series 946, Chapter
11; American Chemical Society: Washington,
DC; pp 127-142, 2006.
Ph.D. (Plant Biotechnology) National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico, 1990 (in collaboration with the University of California/Riverside).
Fellow of the Mexican Academy of Sciences. Various scientific recognitions awarded by the Mexican Government and Foundations for her scientific contributions to Food Toxicology. Academic awards given by the President of the University of Queretaro for excellence in teaching and for a successful work performance as Head of the graduate group in Food Science. General Foods Industry award. Fellow of the Agency for International Development. Institute of Food Technology, honorific mention in International Research Competition. Selected by the Organization of American States as leader for the development of research programs to improve the nutritional quality and production of beans in the Central part of Mexico. Cochran Scholar, USDA. Fellow of the United Nations University.
Dr. Elvira de Mejia has a B.S. degree in Biochemical Engineering from the National Polytechnic Institute (Mexico), M.S. degree in Food Science and Technology from the University of California, Davis and Ph.D. in Plant Biotechnology from the National Polytechnic Institute (Mexico). Dr. de Mejia joined the UIUC faculty in 2002.
Dr. de Mejia has published over 60 peer-reviewed publications, over 100 scientific presentations on the areas of Food Science, Food Toxicology, and Chemoprevention at different national and international scientific meetings. She has served as: member of the National Committee for Food Regulations (Mexico); member of scientific evaluation committee of the National Council on Science and Technology (CONACYT, Mexico); President of the Association of Food Technologists (IFT Regional Mexican Chapter, Central Mexico); Advisor on Food Safety for the Mexican Department of Health; Mentor of students and promoter of science among the general public for the National Academy of Science (Mexico); Organizing Committee Member on Trilateral technical summits on "Food Safety in North America" (US-Mexico and Canada); Mentor of the International Intercampus Program (Mexico-Spain); Head and co-founder of several programs in Food Engineering and Food Science in different Universities in Latin America including the Doctoral program in Food Science in the central part of Mexico (PROPAC) where she implemented a vigorous educational and research program in Food Toxicology.
She has served as major Professor of more than 25 graduate students at the Master and Doctoral levels, and 25 undergraduate students who have published their thesis in the area of Food Science, particularly Food Toxicology.
She has received funding from industry and local and federal Mexican government sources, as well as UC-Mexus, Allen Foundation, OAS, AID, and USDA. She believes that "being a scientist and a teacher are one of the best vocations of the world and it is great to leave a legacy of motivated and educated people."
