Marta Lima
3278 Litton-Reaves Hall
175 West Campus Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Dr. Lima is a Research Assistant Professor in the School of Animal Sciences at Virginia Tech. Dr. Lima received her B.Sc. degree in Applied Biology from the University of Minho, Portugal, in 2003 and earned her Ph.D. in 2009 at the same university. In 2010, she completed a Specialization in Epidemiology from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Porto, Portugal. Dr. Lima held postdoctoral positions at the Portuguese Catholic University, Baylor College of Medicine, and University of California Davis, before starting an appointment as Assistant Professor at the University of New Hampshire in 2018. She moved to Virginia Tech in 2021. Dr. Lima is interested in plant bioactive compounds that play a role in plant, animal, and human health. Her research is interdisciplinary, aiming at improving crop quality, and nutritional profile of feeds or foods for animal and human consumption.
Dr. Lima’s research interests center on phytochemicals, their modulation by environmental factors, and their role in animal and human health. Current research focuses on quantifying phytoestrogens in legume grains and forages, investigating how phytoestrogens content of feed affects dairy cows' health and milk quality, using isoflavones as dietary supplements to improve non-ruminant animal health, and using animal models to study the mechanisms underlying the action of phytochemicals in disease prevention.
Dr. Lima currently serves as an Officer of section C9 – Crops for Health and Nutrition, in the Crop Science Society of America, and as an Associate Editor for the Crop Science section C9 (Crops for Health and Nutrition). She also serves as a Review Editor for the Plant Nutrition section of Frontiers in Plant Science, and the Nutrition and Sustainable Diets section of Frontiers in Nutrition and Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems.
EDUCATION
Educational Background
- 2010 Specialization, Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine - University of Porto, Portugal
- 2009 Ph.D., Biology, University of Minho, Portugal
- 2003 Licentiate degree (B.S.), Applied Biology, University of Minho, Portugal
Pedagogical Certification
- 2021 Certificate in Effective College Instruction, Association of College and University Educators, USA
