Catherine is a Food Microbiologist and Professor of Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Vermont. She serves as the co-director of the Vermont Institute for Artisan Cheese (VIAC), a UVM-based institute that provides educational opportunities and scientific/commercial advice to small-scale cheesemakers. VIAC also works to promote greater public understanding of artisan cheeses.
Dr. Donnelly is a recognized international expert on the bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes and has published numerous articles and delivered hundreds of presentations on the topic. Specific research interests center on development of detection methods for Listeria and understanding the impact of sublethal injury on Listeria recovery and detection. Dr. Donnelly and her research colleagues pioneered the development of methods to detect Listeria in foods, including development of UVM media. Current scholarly interests include investigation of the microbiological safety of raw milk cheeses aged for 60 days.