Dr. Lillehoj received her B.S. degree in Biology from the University of Hartford, M.S. degree in Microbiology from the University of Connecticut, and Ph.D. in Immunology from Wayne State University, School of Medicine. After graduation, she was a NIH post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Wayne State University to conduct research on the immunology of prostate cancer and immunogenetics of autoimmune diseases.
In 1981, she was appointed as a staff fellow in the Laboratory of Immunology, NIAID, NIH where she studied T-cell immunity. Since 1984, Dr. Lillehoj worked at the Agricultural Research Service of the USDA at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. Since joining the USDA-ARS, she has progressively risen in the ranks to where she is now highest grade level, Supergrade.
Her research career has focused on the immunobiology of host-pathogen interactions, vaccine development, mucosal immunology, and immunogenetics. Dr. Lillehoj developed the first set of mouse monoclonal antibodies detecting chicken lymphocyte subpopulations that have been commercialized and used by poultry scientists world-wide and have been instrumental for investigation of avian cell-mediated immunity.
More recently, Dr. Lillehoj constructed the first chicken intestinal cDNA microarray which has been of seminal importance in national and international poultry genomics research. Her research has resulted in more than 350 papers in peer-reviewed journals, 18 book chapters, 300 meeting abstracts, and 6 U.S. patents. She has been awarded more than $ 12 million in research funding, including 8 CSREES NRI, BARD, IFASA, and Food Safety Initiative grants, and 35 formal collaborations (CRADAs) with private industry since she joined ARS.
In addition, she has served on numerous editorial boards, national grant panels, award and technical committees of the AAAVP and PSA, and chaired multiple sessions at national and international meetings. Dr. Lillehoj holds adjunct professorships at the University of Delaware, the University of Maryland, Mississippi State University and the University of Guelph and has guided the research of 95 junior scientists and graduate students from Asia, Europe, and South America.
Her accomplishments have been recognized by the BARC Technology Transfer Award (1998), the ARS Technology Transfer Award (1999), the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) Technology Transfer Award (1999), the Helen Cecil Leadership Award (2001), the AVMA Pharmacia/Upjohn Animal Health Achievement Award (2001), the Korean Poultry Science Association Distinguished Scientist Award (2001), the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center Senior Scientist of the Year Award (2003), the ARS Outstanding Scientist of the Year Award (2004), Merck Achievement Award (2006), the Levine P.P Award (AAAVP, 2006), the Pfizer Animal Health (Embrex) Fundamental Science Award (2007), Beltsville ARS Technology Transfer Award (2008), and Phibro Animal Health Award (2011) for her sustained excellence in research in poultry diseases and health over a period of 27 years or more.