Food Security Research Center
Mission
The Food Security Research Center (FSRC) is dedicated to alleviating food insecurity by addressing key dimensions of food security such as Food Safety & Nutrition, Food Production – Plant Science, Food Production – Animal Science, Workforce Development, and Food Access Solutions through innovative, interdisciplinary research and collaborative partnerships.
Vision
Our vision is to be a leader in collaborative, interdisciplinary food security research, pioneering solutions that sustainably improve systemic food insecurity while developing the next generation of food and agriculture researchers, professionals, and innovators.
Annual Report
We are pleased to share the Food Security Research Center’s First Annual Report, introducing who we are, and highlighting our progress, partnerships, and impact over 2025. This report reflects the dedication of our faculty, staff, students, and collaborators as we begin advancing innovative, interdisciplinary solutions to strengthen food security. Thank you for your continued support of this important work.
Team
Key Area Leaders
Research priorities include diet-microbiome-host interactions, microbial food safety and quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA). Additionally, health disparities around food and nutrition security and identifying and addressing unique challenges to access safe and high-quality foods for residents in rural Texas communities is a priority.
jabarouei@pvamu.edu
Research priorities include improving performance and productivity in poultry, performing cutting edge research on goat reproduction and providing real world experience to students through the meat processing. One of our primary research goals is to enhance animal productivity, health, and product quality through innovative nutritional strategies. We integrate our expertise in areas such as nutrigenomics, phytogenic additives, gut health, and the gut microbiome to improve growth, immunity, and overall sustainability in animal production.
Research focuses on identifying and addressing barriers to food access, including transportation, affordability, and infrastructure. Collaboration with communities and with researchers from multiple disciplines is emphasized to explore innovative and sustainable solutions to food and nutrition insecurity.
Plant science research explores sustainable agricultural practices and innovative crop production methods to enhance food security by improving crop yields and resilience, especially for small-scale farmers in rural areas. Additionally, research focuses on use of medicinal plants in food production.
The FSRC engages with students at all levels to educate them about, and prepare them for, careers in nutrition, agriculture, food safety and food systems. By fostering a well-trained workforce, we aim to prepare the next generation of professionals to solve the challenges of food and nutrition insecurity.
Students
Members
Grants and Publications
Title: Health Disparities and Enteric Diseases: Empowering the Next Generation of Caregivers to Prevent Foodborne Illnesses
Investigators: Moussavi, M. (PD), Quinlan, J.J. (Co-PD)
Funding body: USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Program: This work is supported by the Agricultural Food Research Initiative – Critical Agriculture Research and Extension, project award no. 2026-69008-45780
Award duration: 2026-2028
Amount: $299,880
Title: Microbial Characterization of Skin-on and Skinned Goat Meat
Investigators: Tolen, T.N. (PD)
Funding body: USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Program: This work is supported by the Agricultural Research at 1890 Land Grant Institutions – Evans Allen Capacity Grants
Award duration: 2025-2028
Amount: $421,119
Title: Annual Summer Undergraduate Research and Extension Foundational Internship Training (A SURE FIT)
Investigators: Riggs, P. (PD), Tolen, T.N. (Co-PD), Cleere, J. (Co-PD), Dunlap, K. (Co- PD), M. Pina (Co-PD), Drewery, M. (Co-PD)
Funding body: USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Program: This work is supported by the Agricultural Food Research Initiative – Critical Agriculture Research and Extension, project award no. 2024-68018-42688
Award duration: 2025-2030
Amount: Total award: $748,635; PVAMU Award: $24,540
Title: Food Access, Food Safety, and Nutritional Quality: A Comparison of Food and Food Retailers in Rural and Urban Communities
Investigators: Quinlan, J.J. (PD), Moussavi, M. (Co-PD)
Funding body: USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Program: This work is supported by the Agricultural Research at 1890 Land Grant Institutions – Evans Allen Capacity Grants
Award duration: 2024-2027
Amount: $490,783
Title: Immersive Experiential Education of Urban Educators in Food and Agricultural Sciences
Investigators: Quinlan J.J. (PD), Lee, V. (Co-PD), 2023-2024; Lee, V. (PD), Quinlan, J.J. (Co-PD), 2024-2026
Funding body: USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Program: This work is supported by the Agricultural Food Research Initiative – Education and Workforce Development, Professional Development for Agricultural Literacy, project award no. 2023-67037-39947
Award duration: 2023-2026
Amount: $500,000
Title: The Impact of Proteins and Dietary Fibers on the Microbiome: Is Digestibility the understudied Driver of Metabolic Dysregulation?
Investigators: Barouei J. (PD), Rabinowitz, J.D.
Funding body: Princeton University
Program: Princeton Alliance for Collaborative Research and Innovation
Award duration: 2023-2026
Amount: $250,000
Title: Experiential Approach to Beef Cattle Production Feedlots for Undergraduate Students
Investigators: Tolen T.N. (PD), Daley M., Kinman L. A., Herring A.
Funding body: USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Program: This work is supported by the Agricultural Research at 1890 Land Grant Institutions – Evans Allen Capacity Grants, project award no. 2023-38821-39981
Award duration: 2023-2026
Amount: $300,000
Title: Abattoir Academy: Building Capacity for an Educational Workforce Development Program to Promote Experiential Learning Best-In-Class Practices
Investigators: Kinman L. A. (PD), Garcia, L., Daley, M. (Co-PD), Tolen, T. N. (Co- PD)
Funding body: USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Program: This work is supported by the 1890 Institution Teaching, Research and Extension Capacity Building Grant, project award no. 2023-38821-39974
Award duration: 2023-2026
Amount: $300,000
Title: An Integrated Approach to Minimize Produce Food Safety Risks for Small-Scale Diversified Growers in Texas
Investigators: Barouei, J. (PD), Somenahally, A., Henry, K., Moussavi, M., Park, D., Kebrom, T., Harris, L., Jung, Y.
Funding body: USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Program: This work is supported by the 1890 Institution Teaching Research and Extension Capacity Building Grant, project award no. 2023-38821-39962
Award duration: 2023-2026
Amount: $580,000
Title: A Nature-based Solution to Reduce Nitrogenous Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Investigators: Barouei, J. (PD), Kebrom, T., Moussavi, S. A.
Funding body: Shell International Exploration and Production Inc.
Award duration: 2023-2025
Amount: $810,964
Title: Enhancing Soil Carbon Sequestration by Implementing Innovative Tools and Interventions Under Different Ecosystems
Investigators: Ray, R. (PD), Griffin, R., Carson, L., Qian, L., Weerasooriya, A. (Co-PD), Fares, A., Barouei, J. (Co-PD), Gao, Y.
Funding body: Shell International Exploration and Production
Award duration: 2023-2026
Amount: $2,576,237
Title: Southern Regional Center for Food Safety Training and Outreach, and Lead Regional Coordination Center
Investigators: Schneider et al., Tolen, T. (Co-PD)
Funding body: USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Program: This work is supported by the Food Safety Modernization Act – Outreach to Small Farmers, project award no. 2021-70020-35740
Award duration: 2021-2024
Amount: $12,000
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.
Albajri, E., H. Ayaz, P.A. Shewokis, A. Del Parigi, S.A. Smith, J. J. Quinlan and J.A. Nasser. 2026. Manipulating Attention During Eating Effects Food Intake and Medial Prefrontal Cortex fNIRS Response in Women with Cognitive Restraint. Appetite 219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2025.108416.
Kavanaugh, M., Tolen, T.N., Quinlan, J.J., (2026, in press). Food Safety and Older Adults: Perceptions of Barriers to Adopting Safer Food Handling and Consumption Patterns. Food Protection Trends.
Antwi, J., Olawuyi, Y., Opara, I., Ifafore, M., Dunyo, P., & Ofori-Panyin, K. (2025). Campus food environment is associated with metabolic health in a historically Black university. Ethnicity & Disease, 35(3), 113–120.
Barouei, J,, Kable ME, Moussavi M,, Hsieh YH., (2025). Editorial: Host-diet-microbiome interactions in obesity prevention and treatment. Front Nutr. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1541977. PMID: 39949868; PMCID: PMC11821481.
Lewis, E. C., Umstattd Meyer, M. R., Janda-Thomte, K. M., Maddock, J. E., Palma, M. A., McNeely, A. C., Olawuyi, Y. O., & Seguin-Fowler, R. A. (2025). Cultivating connection between community, agriculture, food, and green space: A narrative review of agrihoods and their impact on health and wellbeing. Public Health in Practice, 6, 100695.
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