CFAES’ Cooperstone recognized for research that improves tomato nutrition

Jessica CooperstoneCongratulations to Jessica Cooperstone, one of eight early-career scientists selected nationally to receive a 2019 New Innovator Award from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR). 

Cooperstone was recognized for her research at The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES).

Her project, “Improving the nutritional quality of tomatoes,” combines plant breeding/genetics, analytical chemistry, bioinformatics, and nutrition to help develop tomatoes that are healthier for humans. 

“By improving the nutritional quality of our crops, we can provide added value to farmers, consumers, and everyone in between,” Cooperstone said.

New Innovators are selected based on criteria including scientific merit and potential impact of the proposed project. This award provides Cooperstone with $300,000 from FFAR and includes matching funds from Ohio State.

Cooperstone is an assistant professor in the departments of Horticulture and Crop Science, and Food Science and Technology. She is also part of the Discovery Themes Initiative in Foods for Health. She obtained her BS in Food Science from Cornell University, and PhD in Food Science and Technology from Ohio State, where she was also a postdoctoral researcher and research scientist.