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Stella Lignou

Stella Lignou portrait
  • Programme Director for MSc Food Science & MSc Food Technology: Quality Assurance
  • Admissions Tutor (Postgraduate Taught)
  • Chair of Sensory Science Group at the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) and member of the Events team
  • Lead of Communications Working Group and UK representative at the European Sensory Science Society (E3S)
  • Member of the BSI AW/012 Sensory Analysis Committee
  • Mentor at Women’s Higher Education Network (WHEN)
  • Module convenor: FB2CSC (Sensory and Consumer Science) (BSc) and FBMSFS (Applied Sensory and Flavour Science) (MSc)
  • Organiser of the Food Industry Symposium (°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼)

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 state-of-the-art techniques such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and olfactometry, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (facilities based at the Flavour Centre and CAF) to characterise the quality of the products, and trained and 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:

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

Research centres and groups

  • Food Research Group
  • Sensory Science Centre

Research projects

Current Projects:

2024-2025: PDRA Dr Victoria Norton and Eve Kelly. ALPRO Foundation. FibreApp: using personalised dietary advice to increase fibre intake across the adult lifecourse.
2024-2029: UKRI Engineering Biology Missions Hub Grant. Engineering Biology Hub for Microbial Foods, BB/Y008510/1 (PI Dr Ledesma Amaro from Imperial College London).
2024: Evangelia Nanou. Short research placement funded by the British Council Greece, the British Embassy Athens and the Greek State Scholarships Foundation. Sensory evaluation of Greek white wines.
2023-2026: Valeria Calle Tchitchina. PhD funded by the Food Consortium BBSRC CTP and Samworth Brothers. Impact of food processing on the functional, structural and sensorial characteristics of alternative protein sources, in collaboration with Dr Chatzifragkou.
2023-2026: Ana Maria Gomez Betancur. PhD funded by FoodBioSystems BBSRC DTP. A reverse engineering approach to sucrose replacement in biscuits: modelling flavour, in collaboration with Dr Rodriguez Garcia (University of Valencia), Dr Cafiero (°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼) and Dr Tribello (Queen’s University Belfast).
2023-2025: PDRA Dr Fatemeh Mirpoor. Innovate UK – Better Food for All: Innovation for improved nutrition/mid-stage in collaboration with Metalchemy Ltd. Development of sustainable bionanocomposite materials for perishable foods and drinks shelf-life extension: delivering better food for all (PI Prof Charalampopoulos).
2023-2024: PDRA Dr Paulina Anguiano Arreola. European Institute of Innovation and Technology, EIT Food, in collaboration with Aarhus University, Maspex, VTT, Bioazul, Eroski, Food Bank 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 (continuation project).
2023-2024: PDRA Dr Victoria Norton. Food4Years Network - BBSRC and MRC funded. Fibre4Life: Exploring, engaging and education older adults on dietary fibre.
2023-2024: Collaboration with IceSupp Ltd and Peritoneal Malignancy Institute Basingstoke. Evaluation of the acceptability of an innovative iced meal supplement.
2023-2024: GCRF AgriFood Africa Innovation Awards (Round 6). SUSPACK: Development of sustainable packaging solutions for extending the keeping quality of composite sorghum flours (PI Prof Parker).
2023-2024: Annual Research Equipment and Infrastructure Fund (°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼). Renovation of Sensory Science Centre Labs.
2023-2024: Collaboration with Lesaffre. Sandwich breads: a cross cultural comparison across ten countries (PI Dr Song).
2022-2025: PDRA Dr Victoria Norton. UKRI Food Systems Strategic Priority Fund. Increasing UK Dietary Fibre – the case for the great white British loaf, BB/W01792X/1 (PI Prof Marcus Tindall).
2022-2025: PDRA Dr Prachi Gandi. UKRI Food Systems Strategic Priority Fund. Raising the Pulse (RtP): Systems analysis of the environmental, nutritional and health benefits of pulse-enhanced foods, BB/W017946/1 (PI Prof Julie Lovegrove).
2021-2024: Roisin McCarron. PhD funded by FoodBioSystems BBSRC DTP and Arla Foods. Optimising the sensorial and nutritional value of plant-based milk alternatives, in collaboration with Prof Methven and Dr Elliott (University of Surrey).
2021-2024: Adedoyin Agubiande. 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.  

Completed Projects:

2022-2023: GCRF AgriFood Africa Innovation Awards (Round 3). Promotion of composite flour for local recipes with locally available cereals, legumes and tubers for income generation and household nutrition (PI Prof Parker).
2022-2023: John Sykes and Community Engagement Fund (°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼). Engaging KS3 children on disposing food packaging sustainably.
2022-2023: PDRA Dr Victoria Norton. European Institute of Innovation and Technology, EIT Food, in collaboration with Aarhus University and Reading Borough Council. The 3Is: Let’s Involve, Inform, and Inspire the next generation on disposing food packaging sustainably.
2022: PDRA Dr Victoria Norton. European Institute of Innovation and Technology, EIT Food, 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.
2021: PDRA Dr Bola Oloyede. European Institute of Innovation and Technology, EIT Food, in collaboration with Colruyt, Syntegon, Fraunhofer, Strauss. Pack4Sense: Paper packaging for SENSitivE foods.
2021: PDRA Dr Bola Oloyede. European Institute of Innovation and Technology, EIT Food, in collaboration with Aarhus University, Maspex, VTT and Bioazul (Proof of Concept). InformPack: an all you need to know online guide for sustainable disposal of food packaging.
2020-2021: RETF Fund (°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼). Impact of biodiverse pasture on the nutritional quality, eating quality and peroxidisability index of lamb meat (PI Dr Kliem).
2020: PDRA Dr Bola Oloyede. European Institute of Innovation and Technology, EIT Food, in collaboration with AZTI, University of Warsaw, Maspex, Natural Machines. Oncofood: new food solutions for cancer patients.
2020: PDRA Dr Nur Liana Binti Sulaiman. European Institute of Innovation and Technology, EIT Food, in collaboration with DSM, Roquette, and Nestle. Our Nutritious Protein (PI Prof Givens).
2020: European Institute of Innovation and Technology, EIT Food, in collaboration with Matis, University of Hohenheim, ABP Food Group. SeaCH4NGE: Seaweed supplementation to mitigate methane emissions by cattle (PI Prof Reynolds).
2019: PDRA Dr Bola Oloyede. European Institute of Innovation and Technology, EIT Food, in collaboration with Bosch Packaging, Fraunhofer, Strauss, Colruyt. InPaper: Innovative paper-based packaging technology and pack styles for food products.
2018-2023: Kanokkan Panchan. PhD funded with a scholarship by the Royal Thai Government. Investigating smoked ingredients (PI Prof Parker).
2018-2021: Victoria Norton. Partially funded PhD from Volac. Investigating mouthfeel perception of whey protein fortified products and the influence of individual differences (PI Prof Methven).
2018: SCFP Strategic Fund (°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼). Using virtual reality to enhance recruitment across SCFP (PI Dr James Hall).
2017-2021: Lucy Turner. BBSRC iCASE PhD with Tozer Seeds. Linking biochemistry and genetics in celery to taste and flavour perceived by consumers: developing a more acceptable product, BB/M016579/1 (PI Prof Wagstaff).
2017: Food Theme Pump Priming Award (°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼). Impact of 3D Food Printing on Consumers – Organisation of Workshop (PI Dr Oruna-Concha).

Academic qualifications

  • MA in Education, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼, 2024
  • Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼, 2020
  • Certificate in Research Career Management, Staff & Educational Development Association, 2017
  • PhD in Flavour Chemistry, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼, 2011
  • MSc in Food Technology – Quality Assurance, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼, 2008
  • Diploma in Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 2005

Professional bodies/affiliations

  • Fellow of the Institute of Food Science and Technology (FIFST)
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
  • Member of the Women’s Higher Education Network (WHEN)

Publications

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