Lee-Ann Jaykus is a faculty member at NC State University who directs an active research program in food microbiology and risk assessment. She is probably best known for her work directing the USDA-NIFA Food Virology Collaborative (NoroCORE). Dr. Jaykus has mentored over 60 young scientists, supervised extramural funding totaling in excess of $40 million, and authored over 200 publications. She has been a member of a variety of national and international expert panels, and is a former president of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP). Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Jaykus stepped in to work with the food industry, focusing on controlling disease transmission in the essential workforce.