About Dr. Anabelle Broadbent
Dr. Broadbent an internationally recognized, award-winning Scientist, Coach, and a Creative. To learn more and for a full professional profile of Dr. Broadbent, connect with her on LinkedIn.
NASA
She holds the distinction of being the first Research Scientist to examine the survival of potentially pathogenic human-associated bacteria in the rhizosphere of hydropo nically grown plants for life support in long-duration space missions, fully funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at the NASA Kennedy Space Center.
University of South Florida
She was the first Hispanic woman to earn a Ph.D. in Biology/Food Microbiology from the University of South Florida (Tampa, Florida).
Research Scientist (NASA & USDA)
As a research scientist, Dr. Broadbent’s research focused on biological control interventions to suppress the growth of foodborne pathogens on food surfaces.
Dr. Broadbent’s career path with NASA flourished from Undergraduate Researcher, ascending through fully-funded Graduate Research fellowships, to leadership roles as a Microbiologist/Lead Scientist and Principal Investigator.
Key Achievements
Selected among the best and the brightest undergraduate students in the world to complete the prestigious program, NASA Spaceflight & Life Sciences Training Program at the NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on International Space Year (1992). Completed a rotation through six different research projects and chose to focus on the investigation of leaching and combustion as methods for the utilization of recycled inedible plant biomass as a plant nutrient source.
Selected among the best and the brightest undergraduate students in the U.S. to complete a Planetary Biology Internship at NASA KSC to research the structure and function of microbial communities in a closed system. Evaluated microscopic and respirometer methods for detecting actively respiring microbial cells in plants systems and bioreactors based on fluorescent, redox sensitive dyes.
Conducted novel, ground-breaking research, fully funded by an earned, highly competitive NASA Graduate Student Researcher Fellowship to examine the survival of potentially pathogenic human-associated bacteria in the rhizosphere of hydroponically grown wheat, a candidate crop for long duration space missions, at NASA KSC.
Conducted novel, ground-breaking research, fully funded by an earned, highly competitive NASA Graduate Student Researcher Fellowship to examine the survival of potentially pathogenic human-associated bacteria in the rhizosphere of hydroponically grown wheat, a candidate crop for long duration space missions, at NASA KSC.
Completed novel, ground-breaking research, fully funded by an earned, highly competitive Florida Space Grant Consortium Fellowship to conduct research at NASA KSC to examine the ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains to adhere to wheat roots and to colonize the rhizosphere of wheat. Using P. aeruginosa as an invader model, the research focused on the evaluation of factors that may contribute to the invasibility of the microbial community in the wheat rhizosphere: (1) invader cell density, (2) invasion time, and (3) microbial community diversity.
Became a NASA Principal Investigator working with the NASA Spaceflight & Life Sciences Training Program at NASA KSC working with Undergraduate Student Researchers to design experiments, train undergraduate students in basic microbiological techniques, oversee student research activities in the laboratory, assist in data analysis, written and oral presentations of scientific research findings.
As a Microbiologist/Senior Scientist identified mutually beneficial areas of research in Microbiology and established a liaison between the two government agencies: NASA and USDA. Developed, led and executed a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between NASA and USDA.
As a Senior Scientist/Microbiologist in the Food Safety Intervention Technologies Research Unit (Peer Group: Food Science and Human Nutrition) at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Eastern Regional Research Center (ERRC), Dr. Broadbent’s research focused on biological interventions to develop and optimize microbial competitive exclusion treatments to suppress the growth of foodborne pathogens on a variety of sprouts.
Academia
As a college professor, she developed and taught both lectures and laboratory courses in biology (for majors and non-majors), human anatomy and physiology, microbiology (food, environmental, medical), and all areas of food science (food safety, quality assurance & regulations, nutrition science, food chemistry, food analysis, food product development, sensory evaluation of foods). During her teaching tenure, she collaborated closely with and was a source of advice to major food companies, including Campbell’s, Nestle, Purina, Blommer’s Chocolate, WAWA Food & Beverages, WAWA Bakery, Moyer Specialties (Nuts and Candies), and Clemens Group (formerly, Hatfield Quality Meats).
Private Industry
Dr. Broadbent has held various executive leadership roles in private industry as Vice President, President, and Chief Science Officer. She has worked with food companies globally, in both the food manufacturing and foodservice segments of the food industry, to provide strategic leadership, assessments, direction, and guidance on food science, pathogenic food microbiology, food safety, food quality, microbial ecology, intervention technologies for the control of foodborne pathogens, hygienic design, sanitation management, environmental microbial monitoring, product development, food chemistry, food analysis, sensory evaluations of food, auditing, and compliance with FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and USDA regulations. Dr. Broadbent has helped companies throughout the food supply chain more effectively mitigate risks, improve operational efficiencies, and ensure regulatory and standards compliance.
Dr. Broadbent has led projects focused on the development of new antimicrobial technologies for use on textiles/nonwovens and surface disinfection. Dr. Broadbent has also led the building and management of modern farming solutions using sustainable, controlled environment agriculture (CEA) for communities that face environmental, climatic and economic challenges.
Fashion Model
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