A. Venketeshwer Rao

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Previous Academic Appointments

Professor, Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto (1994-2001)

Director, Program in Food Safety, Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto (2002)

Director, Collaborative Program in Toxicology, University of Toronto (1993-1996)

NSERC Senior Industrial Research Fellow, Gelda Scientific (1995)

Associate Professor, Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto (1970-1993)

Visiting Professor, Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University (1983)

Associate Member, Institute of Environmental Studies, University of Toronto (1977-1983)

Assistant Professor, Faculty of Food Sciences, University of Toronto (1966-1976)

At a Glance

• Dr. Rao's primary research interests include:
  • The role of phytonutrients such as carotenoids (Lycopene) and polyphenols in human health;
  • Prebiotics and probiotics in gastrointestinal disorders and other human chronic diseases;
  • The development of innovative process developments applicable for human nutrition and health

About Dr. A Venketeshwer Rao

Dr. Rao completed his M. Sc. and Ph. D. degrees in Food Science from Oregon State University, USA. After being a Full Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, he currently holds the position of Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto. He has a distinguished academic career spanning over 45 years as an educator and a researcher. During the tenure of Dr. Rao’s appointment at the University of Toronto, he taught several undergraduate and graduate courses. He was involved in many research projects and supervised several graduate students during their graduate studies. Dr. Rao spent his sabbatical period at Cornell University and undertook research in the area of diet and nutrition in human health and disease.

Additionally, Dr. Rao worked closely with the provincial and government agencies in Canada. He served as a member of provincial and national expert committees in Canada in the areas of nutrition, health, food safety and agriculture. Dr. Rao currently serves as a Senior Scientific Consultant to provincial and federal government agencies and food and pharmaceutical industries globally. He is often sought by the international media to express his opinions on the subjects of nutrition and health.

Research Synopsis

Dr. Rao’s research interests spanned a wide range of topics including the role of food and nutrition in human health. He has established a major focus in the area of diet and health with particular emphasis on the role of dietary phytochemicals and intestinal microflora. More recently, his research has focused on the role of oxidative stress and antioxidants in the causation and prevention of chronic diseases, with particular emphasis on the role of carotenoids and polyphenols. He is one of the pioneering researchers to study the bioavailability, metabolism, mechanisms of action and biological role of lycopene, a carotenoid antioxidant present in tomatoes, other fruits and vegetables and nutritional supplements. The main focus of his research is to study the he role of lycopene in the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease, cancer and osteoporosis. He is credited for bringing international awareness to the role of lycopene in human health. 

Another important area of his research activity includes the role probiotics and prebiotics in human health. More recently, he has been investigating the relationship between intestinal microflora, immune function and endocrinology, as they relate to human health disorders such as chronic fatigue syndrome and psychological disorders. Microencapsulation and surface coating of nutraceuticals such as lycopene, their particle sizes, stability and biological activity is another area of research he is undertaking currently. Dr. Rao is also interested in the applications of biotechnology in the agri-food-health industries. He has published over hundred publications in scientific journals and participated in many national and international scientific conferences. Dr. Rao has authored and co-authored several books and book chapters directed towards human health. In addition to editing two books on ‘Lycopene and Human Health’ in the past, he has edited and published two new books: Phytochemicals: A global perspective of their role in nutrition and health, and Phytochemicals as nutraceuticals: Global approach to their role in nutrition and health. He is currently editing a book on lycopene.

National and International Committee Memberships

Dr. Rao retired in 2001 and was awarded the life time position of Professor Emeritus. Although he served as committee members of several national and international committees, since his retirement, he relinquished these memberships. Dr. Rao is still active in scholarly activities, attending and giving talks at conferences and editing and publishing books in the area of human nutrition and health.

Recent Publications

1. Chu J, Cheng YL, Rao AV, Nouraei M, Zarate-Muñoz S, Acosta EJ. Lecithin-linker formulations for self-emulsifying delivery of nutraceuticals. Int J Pharm. 2014 Aug 25;471(1-2):92-102. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2014.05.001. Epub 2014 May 6. PMID: 24810240.
2. Wong JM, Kendall CW, Marchie A, Liu Z, Vidgen E, Holmes C, Jackson CJ, Josse RG, Pencharz PB, Rao AV, Vuksan V, Singer W, Jenkins DJ. Equol status and blood lipid profile in hyperlipidemia after consumption of diets containing soy foods. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Mar;95(3):564-71. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.111.017418. Epub 2012 Feb 1. PMID: 22301925.
3. Rao V, Balachandran B, Shen H, Logan A, Rao L. In vitro and in vivo antioxidant properties of the plant-based supplement greens+™. Int J Mol Sci. 2011;12(8):4896-908. doi: 10.3390/ijms12084896. Epub 2011 Aug 3. PMID: 21954333; PMCID: PMC3179140.
4. Mackinnon ES, Rao AV, Rao LG. Dietary restriction of lycopene for a period of one month resulted in significantly increased biomarkers of oxidative stress and bone resorption in postmenopausal women. J Nutr Health Aging. 2011 Feb;15(2):133-8. doi: 10.1007/s12603-011-0026-4. PMID: 21365167.
5. Ranganathan N, Ranganathan P, Friedman EA, Joseph A, Delano B, Goldfarb DS, Tam P, Rao AV, Anteyi E, Musso CG. Pilot study of probiotic dietary supplementation for promoting healthy kidney function in patients with chronic kidney disease. Adv Ther. 2010 Sep;27(9):634-47. doi: 10.1007/s12325-010-0059-9. Epub 2010 Aug 16. PMID: 20721651.

In the News

Dr. Rao was actively involved in media interviews including news papers, magazines and TV. He still participates in media interviews although on a limited basis since his retirement.