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Maria Oruna-Concha

Maria Jose Oruna-Concha portrait
  • Programme Director for BSc Food Science and Food Technology with Bioprocessing

Office

2-16

Building location

Harry Nursten

Areas of interest

My research areas of interest include:

  • Flavour formation
  • Analysis and characterization of food components contributing to taste (including umami & kokumi)
  • Analysis and characterization of phytochemicals
  • Recovery of functional ingredients from waste streams
  • Acrylamide formation

My research uses a wide range of analytical techniques including: Capillary Electrophoresis (CE) and state-of-the-art GC-MS, LC and LC-MS.

Teaching

  • Module convenor (BSc): FB3FCP (Food Chemistry and Perception) and FB3NPD (New Product Development)
  • Module co-convenor (MSc): FBMC20 (Food Chemistry: Structure, Flavour and Colour) and FBMPRE (Food Product Reformulation)

Research centres and groups

  • Food Research Group
  • University of Reading Lead academic for IFSTAL (Interdisciplinary Food Systems Teaching and Learning)

Research projects

  • 2024-2028: FoodBioSystems DTP Case PhD with the European Committee for Umami (ECU), which is supported by Ajinomoto Foods Europe and Aberystwyth University. “UMTaste: Understanding the mechanisms by which umami taste influences salty and bitter taste to enable umami to drive salt reduction and improvement in meat alternative protein foods”. PI
  • Mar 2024 - July 2024: Innovate UK Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT) (Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT)) in collaboration with A&R House Ltd. “Development of novel ingredients from fruit processing waste streams for human health”. PI
  • 2020-2024: FoodBioSystems DTP Case PhD with Brunel University. “Food Processing with Solid State Microwave Technology for Higher Product Quality and Lower Carbon Footprint” Co-I
  • GCRF (Sep 2023 - Jan 2024) - AgriFood Africa Innovation Awards (UKRI) round 6 in collaboration with Centre for Dryland Agriculture (CDA), Bayero University Kano, Nigeria; International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Kano Nigeria; Tazij Naashif Foods Nigeria Ltd (TAZIJ). “Development of sustainable packaging solutions for extending the keeping quality of composite sorghum flours (SUSPACK)” Co-I
  • GCRF (Oct 2022 - Mar 2023) - AgriFood Africa Innovation Awards (UKRI) in collaboration with Meru University of Science & Technology (Kenya). “peArL miLlet nUtRient Enhanced fermented porridge (ALLURE)” PI
  • GCRF (Feb 2021- Aug 2022) Networking Grants scheme – “Increasing the potential of camel milk for food security in Arid and Semi-Arid (ASAL) regions of Northern Kenya”- in collaboration with Meru University of Science & Technology (Kenya). PI
  • 2021: EIT - Inspire Summer School, “Targeted Nutrition” Co-I
  • H2020-MSCA-RISE-2017- Foods for Diabetics and Cognition (FODIAC) as co-investigator (PI-UoR)
  • 2018 - SCFP Strategic Fund (University of Reading) with Dr James Hall, Dr Sarah Allman, Dr Livia Bartok-Partay, Dr Stephanie Bull and Miss Charlotte Harman on "Using virtual reality to enhance recruitment across SCFP" Co-I
  • 2014-2017: FP7-PEOPLE-2013-IRSES - MC-IRSES (International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (IRSES)) as co-investigator Co-I

Academic qualifications

  • Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP)
  • PhD, Food and Nutrition, University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain)
  • BSc Pharmacy, University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain)

Awards and honours

  • 2024 University of Reading, RUSU Excellence Award Winner. Student nominated award for the Most Outstanding Contribution to Teaching & Learning, School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy
  • 2024 University of Reading, Celebrating Success Award in recognition to in working together to take on the leadership
  • 2023 Aurora Advanced HE Leadership
  • 2022 University of Reading, RUSU Excellence Award nomination for Contribution to Teaching & Learning, School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy
  • 2021 University of Reading, Celebrating Success Award in recognition for demonstrating the professional behaviour of Finding Innovative Solutions
  • 2020 University of Reading, Celebrating Success Award in recognition for the work carried out as Admissions Tutor and Student Support
  • 2017 University of Reading, Celebrating Success Award in recognition for collaborative development of new undergraduate module in Advanced Food Chemistry

Professional bodies/affiliations

  • Co-Chair of the Society for Chemical Industry (SCI) Food Group
  • Associate Fellow of the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST)
  • External Assessor of Galician Innovation Agency (Spain)
  • Member of ProFSET (The Professional Food Science, Engineering, and Technology Group)
  • Coeliac UK – Member of the Research Award Panel
  • Member of the RIPEN Hub Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) (TRanslational Innovation for Population HEalth using food and Nutrition approaches to enhance positive physiology)
  • Member of INFORM Hub (INvestigating the role of Functional foOds and beveRages to iMprove health and recovery)
  • Member of the Food4Years Aging Network

Publications

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