International Association for Food Protection Elects Manan Sharma to Executive Board

Thursday, April 27, 2023

Des Moines, Iowa – Members of the International Association for Food Protection elected Dr. Manan Sharma to the Executive Board as Secretary. Dr. Sharma will take office at the conclusion of IAFP 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and will fulfill a five-year commitment to the Association, serving as President beginning in July 2026.

Dr. Sharma is a Lead Scientist and Research Microbiologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS), Environmental Microbial and Food Safety Laboratory (EMFSL). His research focuses on pre-harvest produce safety issues, evaluating factors which affect the survival of enteric bacterial pathogens in soils, manure, compost, irrigation water, and on fruit and vegetable commodities.

Dr. Sharma has been an active and committed Member of IAFP since joining as a Student Member in 2000. He currently serves on the Journal of Food Protection Editorial Board, the IAFP Annual Meeting Program Committee, and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Council. Dr. Sharma previously served on IAFP committees including the Journal of Food Protection Management Committee, the Food Protection Trends Editorial Board, the Nominating Committee, Foundation Committee, Tellers Committee, and the Awards Committee. He served as both President and Vice President of the Capital Area Food Protection Association, the Washington, D.C. area Affiliate of IAFP, and was a founding member of the Indian Association for Food Protection in North America, an IAFP Affiliate. Dr. Sharma is the recipient of IAFP’s Larry Beuchat Young Researcher Award (2011), the Maurice Weber Laboratorian Award (2018), and the Fellow Award (2022).

Dr. Sharma holds a B.S. in Microbiology and Cell Science from the University of Florida, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology from the University of Georgia.