Dr Vilma Xhakollari
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Postdoctoral Research Assistant
Specialism
Consumer Science, Food Marketing, Experimental EconomicsAreas of interest
My research goal is to study different techniques for improving people’s diet and understanding their preferences for different categories of food products, all of which have the aim of improving the human condition. I have experience in designing choice- experiments. In addition, in my research, I apply elements of social psychology. Finally, my engagement in other EU founded projects, to mention SMARTCHAIN and PRIZEFISH, and work outside academia, helped me understand that many solutions are possible only if seen from multidisciplinary perspective.Postgraduate supervision
I am happy to support undergrads and postgrads students interested in exploring human behaviour with a keen interest on functional food.
Teaching
At the moment I teach “Research Methods For Horticultural Business” at Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Second cycle degree programme (LM) in International Horticultural Science.Research centres and groups
Prior to joining University of Reading I have been affiliated with the:
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Alma Mater University of Bologna – Bologna, Italy (November 2015- October 2022)
- Agro-Food Research and Technology Centre Of Aragon – Zaragoza, Spain (September 2014 – July 2015)
Research projects
Increasing UK Dietary Fibre - The Case for the Great White British Loaf
November 2022 – Present
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=BB%2FW01792X%2F1
SMART 3 : Smart Sensor X Smart Working X Smart Farm
January 2022 – October 2022
EIT FOOD RIS Inspire Summer Schools Programme, Targeted Nutrition
January 2021 – October 2022
https://www.eitfood.eu/projects/ris-inspire
AGRIFOODBOOST: Boosting Excellence in Experimental Research for Agri-Food Economics and Management
October 2020 – October 2022
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/952303/it
Engage Albanian Diaspora to the Social and Economic Development of Albania
October 2019 – December 2019
https://albania.iom.int/stories/engage-albanian-diaspora-social-and-economic-development-albania
PRIZEFISH: Piloting of eco-innovative fishery supply-chains to market added-value Adriatic fish products
September 2019 – October 2021
https://www.italy-croatia.eu/web/prizefish
SMARTCHAIN: Towards Innovation - driven and smart solutions in short food supply chains (Italy)
November 2018 – August 2021
https://www.smartchain-h2020.eu/
ICT and Robotics for Sustainable Agriculture, Variable Rate Operation for Orchards (Italy)
September 2016 – July 2017
The Determinants of Diet and Physical Activity. under WP2.1.2 (Italy)
January 2016 – June 2016
https://www.healthydietforhealthylife.eu/index.php/dedipac
Fighting against obesity in Europe”: The role of health related-claim labels in food products (Spain)
September 2014 – June 2015
Academic qualifications
- PhD in Agricultural, Environmental and Food Science and Technology/ Profile: Food Marketing – Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Alma Mater University Of Bologna – Bologna, Italy
- Thesis: “Adherence to gluten-free diet and preferences for gluten-free products”
- Master of Science in Agri-food Marketing – Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza, CIHEAM – Zaragoza, Spain
- Micro thesis: "Non-celiac consumers profiling and willingness to pay for gluten-free products: the case of quadritos’ Dr. Schär"
- Final thesis: "The role of health-related claims on consumer behaviour in Spain", Cum Maxima Laude.
- Unique cycle (BSc-MSc) in Agribusiness and Farm Management – Department of Economy and Agribusiness, Agricultural University of Tirana – Tirana, Albania
- Thesis: “Overview of the existing financial state of a software programming company and its product application on the agribusiness sector” 9/10
Websites/blogs
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Vilma-Xhakollari
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ReKS1FAAAAAJ&hl=it
Selected publications
- Wongprawmas Rungsaran, Xhakollari Vilma*, Spadoni Roberta, Rennerc Britta, Canavari Maurizio. “Effect of multimedia interventions on children’s fruit and vegetable consumption in a real-life setting”. Young Consumers Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/YC-05-2022-1519
- Xhakollari, Vilma*; Canavari, Maurizio; Osman, Magda, Why people follow a gluten-free diet? An application of health behaviour models, «Appetite», 2021, 161, pp. 1 – 10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2021.105136
- Xhakollari, Vilma*; Canavari, Maurizio; Osman, Magda, “Factors affecting consumers' adherence to the gluten-free diet, a systematic review”, Trends In Food Science & Technology, vol 85, pp. 23 – 33, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2018.12.005
- Xhakollari, Vilma*; Canavari, Maurizio, “Celiac and non-celiac consumer's experiences when purchasing gluten-free products in Italy”, Economia Agro-Alimentare, 21, pp. 1 - 15