Open to opportunities

Dara Alegbeleye

@daraalegbeleye

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Food safety scientist specializing in microbial risk assessment and regulatory-ready validation.

United States

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What I'm looking for

I seek roles where I can lead regulatory strategy and validation projects—translating microbial risk science into approvals, policy impact, and scalable food‑safety solutions.

I am a food safety scientist with extensive experience translating microbiology research into regulatory-ready risk mitigation strategies. With 30+ peer-reviewed publications and work cited by WHO, FAO, FDA, EFSA and others, I design and validate microbial challenge studies, predictive models, and water safety frameworks that support product approvals and policy updates.

My background spans research and consultancy across three continents, including a PhD in Food Science and roles in CGIAR and industry startups. I deliver evidence-based protocols, regulatory documentation, and stakeholder-facing materials to enable shelf-life extension, novel food approvals, and safe water reuse in controlled environment agriculture.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Scientific Consultant

Current

Chanja Datti Ltd

Jan 2025 - Present (1 year 1 month)

Developed QA framework for converting organic waste into animal feed, designed sampling protocols and contamination thresholds for regulatory compliance, and produced investor-facing scientific briefs for stakeholder engagement.

Circular Economy Regulatory Compliance

Postdoctoral Fellow

International Water Management Institute

Jan 2022 - Jan 2025 (3 years)

Led research on water quality risks in food production chains for CGIAR One Health Initiative and contributed to USAID-, World Bank-, and Gates-funded projects, receiving IWMI Board Award for project delivery.

QMRA One Health Project Management Stakeholder Engagement Climate Smart Agriculture

PhD Researcher

University of Campinas

Jan 2017 - Jan 2022 (5 years)

Conducted pathogen survival and predictive modeling studies in fresh produce informing shelf-life validation and contributing to policy updates, resulting in 30+ peer-reviewed papers with three cited in FDA guidance.

Pathogen Survival Studies Microbial Challenge Design Shelf Life Validation PCR Data Analysis Scientific Publishing

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

University of Campinas (UNICAMP)

Doctor of Philosophy, Food Science

Doctoral research in food microbiology and safety focusing on pathogen survival, predictive modeling, and shelf-life validation applicable to policy and industry compliance.