Education:
B.Sc., Home Science, COHSc, PAU, Ludhiana (1987). M.Sc., Food and Nutrition, COHSc, PAU, Ludhiana.(1991) Ph.D., Food and Nutrition, COHSc PAU, Ludhiana (1995).

Positions held :
Assistant Professor, PAU, Ludhiana (1995-2004), Associate Professor (2004-2010), Professor (2010 till date)

Dean, College of Community Science, PAU (Nov, 2023 onwards)

Field of Specialization:
Food and Nutrition

Research Interests:
1.Food Analysis
2. Public Health Nutrition

Projects:

1. State funded project “Improving quality of life of rural families of Punjab” (1995- 1999)- CoPI.
2. DFID U.K. funded AVRDC-PAU collaborated project “Improving income and nutrition by incorporating mungbean in cereal fallows in the Indo-Gangetic of South Asia” (April, 2002 – March, 2004)-CoPI.
3. AVRDC sponsored project “Popularization of extra-short duration mungbean cultivars for poverty alleviation and improved nutrition in Bihar and India based on Punjab model” (2005-06)- CoPI.
4. AVRDC sponsored project ‘Popularization of extra-short duration mungbean cultivars for poverty alleviation and improved nutrition in Bihar, Rajasthan and Jharkhand, India based on Punjab model’(2006-07)- CoPI.
5. AVRDC sponsored project “Popularization of extra-short duration mungbean cultivars for poverty alleviation and improved nutrition in Bihar, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Tamil Nadu, India based on Punjab model” (2007-08)- CoPI.
6. Defense Food Laboratory, Mysore (DFL) sponsored project “Development of Ready to Serve Natural Health Drinks/Appetizers” (2006-2008)- CoPI.
7. UNFPA sponsored project “Development of life skills integrated self-learning materials in the secondary curriculum of National Institute of Open Schooling” (2010)-CoPI.
8. Sir Rattan Tata Trust and AVRDC, Taiwan sponsored project “Improving vegetable production and consumption for sustainable rural livelihoods in Jharkhand and Punjab India” (2008-13) -CoPI.
9. HarvestPlus IFPRI, Washington DC sponsored project “A study of factors influencing zinc status of women (15-45years) and children (6-59 months) from Ludhiana district of Punjab, India” (2011-12)- PI.
10. Nestle India Limited sponsored project “Nutrition awareness training program for rural girl students”(2009-till date)-PI. (ongoing)
11. DST under PURSE Grant funded project “Addressing food security through nutritionally enriched improved cultivars and technologies for Swasth Bharat” (2017-19)- CoPI.
12. DBT sponsored project “Setting up rural Biotech Innovation and and application center (RBIAC) in Kandi area of Punjab -Technological solutions for value addition of sugarcane juice through scientific production and developing iron fortified jaggery” (2020-23) -CoPI (ongoing)

Selected Research Publications

1. Rutherfurd S M, Bains K and Moughan P G 2012. Available lysine and digestible amino acid contents of proteinaceous foods of India. Br J Nutr 108: S59-68.
2. Kaur L, Kyoung-Sik-Han, Bains K and Singh H 2011. Indian culinary plants enhance glucose-induced insulin secretion and glucose consumption in INS-IB-cells and 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Food Chem 129: 1120-1125.
3. Singh A, Bains K and Kaur H 2015. Effect of inclusion of key foods on in vitro iron bioaccessibility in composite meals. J Food Sci Tech 53: 2033-2039.
4. Bains K, Kaur H, Bajwa N, Kaur H, Kapoor S and Singh A 2015. Iron and zinc status of 6- month to 5-year-old children from low-income rural families of Punjab, India. Fd Nutr Bull 36: 254-263.
5. Miglani N and Bains K (2017) Interplay between proteins and metabolic syndrome–A review. Cri Rev Food Sci Nutr57: 2483-96

Awards/Honours/Distinctions :

1. Awarded the First Kellogg’s Award on Nutrition Excellence for the research paper presented at the XXIX Annual Conference of Indian Dietetic Association in 1996.
2. Won the Kellogg’s award for best poster paper presentation at the XXXII Annual Conference of Indian Dietetic Association in 1999.
3. Cash prize for winning the first position in Quiz Competition at CME 2001: Paediatric Nutrition at Chandigarh in 2001.
4. Received First Prize for best poster paper presentation for the paper ‘Effect of hydrothermal treatments on free radical scavenging potential of selected vegetables at National Seminar on New Frontiers and Future Challenges in Horticulture held at PAU Ludhiana in 2012.
5. Received First Prize for best poster paper presentation for the paper ‘Assessment of extent of losses of ascorbic acid in selected vegetables using different cooking methods’ at National Seminar on Women and Rural Development- Critical Issues held at PAU, Ludhiana in 2012.
6. Received First Prize for best oral presentation for the paper ‘Blood iron status of rural women and children from low income families of Ludhiana district of Punjab’ at ‘International Conference on Sustainable Agriculture for Food and Livelihood Security’ held at PAU Ludhiana in 2012.
7. Received III prize for poster paper presentation ‘Relationship of diet and physical activity on body composition of adult males engaged in various occupations’ at National Conference on Technologies in Sustainable Food Systems at SLIET, Longowal, Oct 8, 2016.
8. Received II prize for poster paper presentation ‘Utilization of guar meal for the development of functional foods’ at National Conference on Technologies in Sustainable Food Systems at SLIET, Longowal, Oct 8, 2016.
9. Best poster paper award for the paper ‘Preparation of edible off-flavour free guar meal flour for utilization in bakery products’ at 25th Indian Convention of Food Science and Technologists organized by AFSTI at GNDU, Amritsar, Nov 11, 2016.
10. Best Poster Paper Award for the paper ‘Consumption frequency score of foods influencing iron absorption of farm women of Ayali Kalan village of Ludhiana district, Punjab’ at XXXII Biennial Conference of Home Science Association of India, MPUAT, Udaipur in 2018.