Plenary speakers

Manuel A. Coimbra is Full Professor at the Department of Chemistry of University of Aveiro, Portugal. He graduated in 1985 in Biochemistry at the University of Porto and got his PhD in Chemistry at the University of Aveiro in 1993, in a collaboration with the Institute of Food Research, in Norwich, UK.

He is Professor of Food Chemistry and Biochemistry, Director of the BSc graduation in Biochemistry and Coordinator of the Research Unit LAQV/REQUIMTE-Aveiro.

The scientific expertise and interests of Manuel A. Coimbra are focused on carbohydrate chemistry, polysaccharide structure and applications, food chemistry, and industry by-products valuation under a circular economy. The research has been based in Aveiro, allowing to rule over 80 research projects funded by different entities, including industries. He is co-author of 8 patents, 354 research peer-reviewed papers (15,500 citations, h=66, Scopus), and supervised 28 PhD thesis (+11 running) and 13 Post-Docs. Manuel A. Coimbra is Editor in Chief of Elsevier journal Carbohydrate Polymers (IF2023= 10.7), President of the Scientific Panel of Food Additives and Food Chain Contaminants of ASAE, the Portuguese Food Safety Agency.

Professor of Food Quality & Design group at Wageningen University and R&D director of Arterra Bioscience

Professor Vincenzo Fogliano is a food scientist. After 20 years of career at the University of Naples as a Professor in Biochemistry, Food Chemistry and Functional Foods, from 2013, nowadays a Professor of the Food Quality & Design group at Wageningen University. Professor Fogliano has published more than 530 publications in indexed journals covering many aspects of food science. These papers received more than 23.000 citations.

The focus of his research is on the design of innovative healthy foods adopting a food system perspective and the focus on gastrointestinal health. His challenge is to use a food design approach to tackle the two main issues of the food sector: feeding the planet in 2050 and counteracting obesity.

Vural Gökmen, a professor in the Food Engineering Department at Hacettepe University, has made substantial contributions to the understanding of process-induced effects on the quality and safety of foodstuffs through his expertise in food science. His research has resulted in over 300 articles published in peer-reviewed journals, including 22 book chapters and the editing of a book.

Currently, he holds the position of editor for Food Chemistry. In recognition of his outstanding contributions, Gökmen was awarded the title of Outstanding Young Scientist by the Turkish Academy of Sciences in 2004. He subsequently became an academy member in 2023. Gökmen received the Science Award from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye in 2022.

Graz University of Technology, Institute of Biochemistry

He studied Technical Chemistry at Graz University of Technology with a focus on Biotechnology. After a postdoc position at ETH Zürich he worked in the R&D department of an antibiotics’ producer. He started at Graz University of Technology in 1993 as food chemist, became Docent and associated Professor in 2002 and was awarded as University Professor in 2024. His research focus was on the formation of carcinogens during food processing. He retired in 2024.