The Plants for Human Health Institute is a North Carolina State University research and education organization located at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis, North Carolina, United States. The institute researches food crops, like fruits and vegetables, and the potential health-promoting properties they may convey when consumed.PHHI is part of the North Carolina State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, which staffs the institute with faculty from the departments of horticultural science; food, bioprocessing and nutrition sciences; plant and microbial biology; genetics; and agricultural and resource economics. The institute has both research and Cooperative Extension components. Mary Ann Lila, a blueberry researcher, is director of the Plants for Human Health Institute.HistoryN.C. State began operations in Kannapolis in 2007 as the Fruit and Vegetable Science Institute. The university was one of the first organizations to join the biotech hub.The program's name was changed to Plants for Human Health Institute when the N.C. Research Campus was dedicated on October 20, 2008, in order "to more accurately reflect the groundbreaking research approach the institute will take. Institute research will focus on identifying and making available to consumers bioactive compounds in plants that prevent and treat disease."
