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Stella Lignou

Stella Lignou Staff Profile Photo
  • Programme Director for MSc Food Science & MSc Food Technology: Quality Assurance
  • Admissions Tutor (Postgraduate Taught)
  • Sensory Science Centre
  • Coordinator of Summer School for Year 12 students.

Office

2-53

Building location

Harry Nursten

Areas of interest

Stella's research sits at the cross-section of flavour and sensory analysis. She uses a number of analytical techniques including state-of-the-art gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and olfactometry (GC-O), capillary electrophoresis, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) – facilities based at the Flavour Centre – to characterise the quality of the products and trained consumer panels in order to understand how the sensorial properties of the foods are perceived by humans (facilities based at the Sensory Science Centre).

Her main topics of focus are:

  1. flavour profile of fresh produce and other products
  2. sensory profile of various sources of alternative proteins
  3. consumers’ responses to sustainable packaging and innovative technologies such as 3D food printing
  4. development of products for targeted groups of people (i.e. older adults, cancer patients).

Research projects

Current Projects:

2021-2024: FoodBioSystems DTP Case PhD with Arla Foods and University of Surrey. Optimising the sensorial and nutritional value of plant based milk alternatives. Roisin McCarron.

2021-2022: PhD student funded by Commonwealth Split-site scholarship. Investigation of the effect of cultivar and pre-treatments on the behaviour of sweet potato puree under 3D printing conditions. Adedoyin Agubiande.

2022: European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT Food) – research grant in collaboration with Aarhus University, Maspex, VTT, Bioazul, Eroski and the Polish Academy of Sciences, " InformPack: Development of public engagement actions, tools and strategies to enable a sustainable shift in food packaging culture in Europe", Dr Victoria Norton.

Completed Projects:

2021: European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT Food) – research grant in collaboration with Colruyt, Syntegon, Fraunhofer, Strauss "Paper packaging for SENSitivE foods – Pack4Sense", Dr Bola Oloyede.

2021: European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT Food) – Proof of Concept grant in collaboration with Aarhus University, Maspex, VTT and Bioazul on "An all you need to know online guide for sustainable disposal of food packaging – InFormPack", Dr Bola Oloyede.

2020-2021: RETF Fund (University of Reading) – "Impact of biodiverse pasture on the nutritional quality, eating quality and peroxidisability index of lamb meat", led by Dr Kirsty Kliem.

2020: European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT Food) – research grant in collaboration with AZTI, University of Warsaw, Maspex, Natural Machines on "New food solutions for cancer patients – Oncofood", Dr Bola Oloyede.

2020: European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT Food) – research grant in collaboration with DSM, Roquette, and Nestle and led by Prof Ian Givens – "Our Nutritious Protein", Dr Nur Liana Binti Sulaiman.

2020: European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT Food) – research grant in collaboration with Matis, University of Hohenheim, ABP Food Group and led by Prof Chris Reynolds on "Seaweed supplementation to mitigate methane emmissions by cattle – SeaCH4NGE".

2019: European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT Food) – research grant in collaboration with Bosch Packaging, Fraunhofer, Strauss, Colruyt on "Innovative paper-based packaging technology and pack styles for food products – InPAPER", Dr Bola Oloyede.

2018: SCFP Strategic Fund (University of Reading) with Dr James Hall, Dr Sarah Allman, Dr Livia Bartok-Partay, Dr Stephanie Bull, Dr Maria-Jose Oruna-Concha and Miss Charlotte Harman on "Using virtual reality to enhance recruitment across SCFP".

2017: Food Theme Pump Priming Award (University of Reading) with Dr Maria Jose Oruna-Concha, Prof Lisa Methven, Prof Margot Gosney and Mrs Carol Fairfield on "Impact of 3D Food Printing on Consumers – Organisation of Workshop".

Academic qualifications

  • PhD in Flavour Chemistry, University of Reading, 2011
  • MSc in Food Technology – Quality Assurance, University of Reading, 2008
  • Diploma in Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 2005.

Professional bodies/affiliations

  • Fellow of the Instiute of Food Science and Technology (FIFST)
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

External activities

  • Member of the Institute of Food Science and Technology's Sensory Science Group (SSG)
  • Member of the BSI AW/012 Sensory Analysis Committee
  • UK representative at the European Sensory Science Society (E3S).

Publications

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