Research Team
Bradley Bolling, PhD
Professor, Department of Food Science; Sustainability Faculty Fellow
​Brad is an Associate Professor in the Department of Food Science. He earned BS and PhD degrees in Food Science at UW-Madison, focusing on dietary prevention of cancer, before training at the Jean Meyer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University through an NIH fellowship program. There, he continued to pursue his interest in chemistry, metabolism, nutrition, and health. He returned to UW-Madison in 2014 to lead a program in food and health research. His team is focused on improving the impact of food on human and environmental health while increasing the sustainability and equity of the food system. Brad has a broad interest in food, encompassing nuts, fruits, vegetables, spices, fermented dairy products, and waste materials from food production. He has contributed to teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, including Advanced Food Biochemistry, The Chocolate Experience, Principles of Food Preservation, and Food Bioactives.
Outside of the office, you can find Brad spending time with family and friends, biking, hiking, birdwatching, gardening, cross-country skiing, cooking, playing ultimate frisbee, disc golfing, or trying to teach his dog Ranger new tricks. He enjoys traveling and is enthusiastic about learning about new cultures and foods.
Gulustan Ozturk, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Food Science, Dairy Innovation Hub (DIH) Faculty
Dr. Ozturk is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Food Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, supported by the UW Dairy Innovation Hub. Her program centers on bioactive compounds in milk and dairy streams. Specifically, her main goal is to develop advanced separation processes for extracting these bioactive compounds with a special emphasis on personalized nutrition and precision treatments aimed at enhancing human health.
Gulustan was born and raised in Turkey. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in food engineering from Ankara University in Turkey. During her master's, she developed edible films to extend the shelf life of ground beef. She later moved to the US, where she completed her Ph.D. in food science with a designated emphasis in biotechnology from the University of California, Davis. During her Ph.D., her research focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms used by the foodborne pathogen Yersinia enterocolitica to colonize humans and cause disease. Her passion for natural health-promoting compounds inspired her to continue her postdoctoral training at UC Davis, where she began developing human and bovine milk-based antimicrobials and prebiotics to support healthy microbial communities.
Kevin Shih
PhD Student, MPH, RDN
Kevin is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, certified in both the US and Taiwan. He earned a Bachelor's in Human Nutrition from Chung Shan Medical University and a Master's in Public Health Nutrition and Dietetics from UNC-Chapel Hill.
Kevin is currently pursuing his Ph.D. at UW-Madison, where he's tackling important questions about choline, a vital nutrient. Kevin is working to understand how our bodies absorb choline and exploring Whey Protein Phospholipids Concentrate (WPPC) as a functional ingredient way to boost choline intake, especially for postmenopausal women. His innovative work involves creating analytical tools for WPPC and leading clinical trials to explore its health benefits. Kevin is passionate about improving our understanding of choline's impact on brain function and gut health, with the ultimate goal of advancing precision nutrition and public well-being.
Beyond the lab, Kevin is committed to sharing his knowledge in nutritional sciences. He teams up with other RDNs on Instagram (@Nutriverse.TWUS) to deliver reliable nutrition information to the public. In his free time, he enjoys playing with his cat, Mia, playing badminton and swimming, and traveling.
Andrea Noll
Researcher, MS, MPH
Andrea has always felt a strong connection to nature, which led her to study the natural sciences. Along the way, she gained hands-on experience doing research in different areas and currently focuses on how food affects our health. As she continued her journey and earned a Master’s in Public Health, she began to see the bigger picture—how health is shaped by our communities, cultures, environment, and everyday lives.
Now, Andrea balances research and working directly with communities, especially around building healthier and more sustainable food systems. She’s passionate about listening, learning, and collaborating with Tribal Nations, non-profits, and local organizations that are already leading the way. Her goal is to support and strengthen these efforts through respectful partnerships and shared knowledge.
Additionally, Andrea has led several research studies and is especially committed to making sure they are inclusive and welcoming to people from all backgrounds. She works hard to build trust and create opportunities for more community members to be involved in research in ways that feel respectful and meaningful.
Outside of work, Andrea enjoys spending time with family and friends. With an adventurous spirit, she stays active, loves to travel and experience other cultures, and is an outdoor enthusiast.
Kate Sun
Lead Undergraduate Researcher, Expected B.S. Spring 2026
Kate is a senior at University of Wisconsin-Madison pursuing a B.S. in Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics and Psychology. She has spent 2 years in the Bolling lab researching cranberry bioactives, polyphenol reactivity, and melanoidin food chemistry. Kate has a strong passion for food as medicine, nutrition education, achieving optimal health, and the gut microbiome.
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Outside of the lab, she loves to try new recipes, travel around the world, read in the sun, hangout with friends, spent time in the mountains, and stay active.