Distinguished Professor Carlito Lebrilla is among the 185 academic and institutional inventors newly elected to the National Academy of Inventors, or NAI. The fellowship is the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors and celebrates success in translating research into products and services.

Lebrilla, who holds joint appointments in the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, specializes in analytical chemistry, focusing on identifying and characterizing molecular compounds involved in diet, maintaining health and disease progression. He holds 10 patents and has authored nearly 500 publications.

“As chemists, we see life as one big bundle of chemically reacting compounds,” Lebrilla said. “Nutrition just makes sure that the right reagents go into the right reactions, producing the proper products in the correct amount. Disease happens when the reactions produce the wrong products or don’t produce enough of the right products.”

In addition to identification and characterization, Lebrilla and his team have developed advanced analytical tools, including mass spectrometry methods and separation techniques, to probe the most abundant large molecule in nature: carbohydrates.

The research has led to insights about the role of human milk in developing the infant gut microbiome and the structures and roles of various fibers in adult diets.

“In diseases, we find that as in plants, human cells are also covered with carbohydrates, but with shorter chains and connected to proteins and lipids,” Lebrilla said. “These structures are altered in all forms of cancer and even in Alzheimer’s diseases. By looking for these modifications in the blood of patients, we were able to develop blood tests for diseases.”  

Lebrilla, along with the rest of the 2025 class of fellows, will receive their medals at the NAI 15th Annual Conference in June 2026, which is being held in Los Angeles. The 2025 class alone holds more than 5,300 U.S. patents.  

“It feels great to be recognized for our discoveries by the NAI,” Lebrilla said. “I do science because it’s fun but to be able to shine light on real issues in health and nutrition is a great, great bonus.”

Lebrilla said the award doesn’t just highlight his work, it highlights the work of his group — the graduate students, undergraduate students and postdoctoral fellows who help make the science possible.

“They may not have been named, but they know who they are and what they did advanced knowledge in practical ways,” he said. “I’m most proud to be part of my team.”

Asked what advice he’d give to students and early career scientists, Lebrilla said follow where the experiments lead you.

“Be open to new paths and new questions,” he said. “Be especially open to new interpretations. Disproving old dogmas is more fun than reinterpreting them.”