David Kitts  PhD
Professor and Dean pro tem, Faculty of Land and Food Systems
The University of British Columbia

Dr. David Kitts is a Professor of Food Chemistry in the Food Nutrition and Health (FNH) Program at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver campus. Dr. Kitts has held several senior University administration roles, most recently as Dean pro tem of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems, and previously as Associate Dean of Research and Program Chair of the FNH Program.  He has also been a long-standing member on Canadian food industry scientific boards, including the Canadian Sugar Institute Scientific Advisory Council, and the Tri-council granting agencies.

Dr. Kitts obtained his PhD in 1981 (UBC); Postdoctoral Fellow in 1983 (UCD-California) and was a NSERC- University Research Fellow at UBC (1983-1988). Dr. Kitts has established a research program that integrates the knowledge of food chemistry to better understand the nutritional quality of food and beverages. His research program supports creative, interdisciplinary, and translational research focused on using fundamental science to develop innovative solutions. In application, his research addresses some critical issues in food security while supporting the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of Canada’s food system. Some examples of transdisciplinary research conducted by current and former MSc and PhD students that spanned food science, nutrition/dietetics, biochemistry and molecular biology include NSERC-funded programs that focused on: 1) Fundamental chemistry, nutritional and bioactive roles of the Maillard Reaction; 2) Developing innovative encapsulation methods to enhance stability and bioavailability of both essential nutrients and plant bioactives; 3) Defining chemical and molecular mechanisms of plant phenolics that act as natural antioxidants, with a focus on intestinal redox homeostasis; and, 4) Assessing novel food processing methods on altering nutrient and phytochemical stability.