Dr. Helen Lu — Reimagining Chemistry for a Sustainable Future

For Dr. Helen Lu, PhD, innovation is both discovery and responsibility.
“We’re trying to replace petrol-based chemicals,” she says. “Being able to do that — that’s a hard moment for us. It’s discovery. It’s such a hard thing to do, but we bring all this different technology to it, and it’s just extremely worthy.”

It’s discovery, it’s challenge — and it’s worth every bit of effort.

As a Principal Scientist and Technical Fellow in IFF’s Health and Biosciences division, Helen brings nearly three decades of experience in organic chemistry, having begun her career in DuPont Central Research. Over 28 years, her focus has remained the same — using science to make the world more sustainable.

Through her work Designing Enzymatic Biomaterials™  (DEB), she’s driving meaningful change—delivering more sustainable solutions, reducing environmental impact, and actively addressing plastic pollution. “I see my work impacting this directly through the design of enzymatic biomaterials,” she explains.

We’re bringing a more sustainable offering, reducing our life-cycle impact, and tackling plastic pollution.

For Helen, sustainability isn’t a buzzword — it’s a deeply personal mission. “This is an extremely privileged area of research,” she says. “And I’m thrilled to be able to work and contribute to it.”

Want to explore more minds behind the science?

Meet other IFF Technical Fellows and discover how their expertise is shaping the future of health and bioscience.