Flavia Gasperi

Master degree in Pharmaceutical chemistry and technology (University of Bologna, 1987) 

September 2024 - now: Full Professor in Food Science and Technology (AGRI-07/A Scienze e tecnologie alimentari) at Center Agriculture Food Environment of the University of Trento

October 2019 - August 2024: Associate Professor in Food Science and Technology (AGRI/15 Scienze e tecnologie alimentari) at Center Agriculture Food Environment of the University of Trento

Teaching activities:

• Sensory analysis with lab practice” - BSc Viticulture and Oenology, University of Trento).
• Sensory quality of agri-food products and consumer preference - Msc in  Agrifood Innovation Management

Members of the Teaching Board of PhD in Agrifood and Environmental Sciences (University of Trento) 

National Qualifications (MIUR Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research, Italy):

• Associate Professor in Food Science and Technology (07/F1 ssd  AGRI/15) - 2018 -2028
• Full Professor in Food Science and Technology (07/F1 ssd  AGRI/15) - 2022 -2032

• Perception processes: individual variability  and multisensory interaction;
• Factors that influence consumer preferences and choices;
• Characterization with combined sensory and instrumental techniques of agri-food products (typical dairy products and vegetable productions);
• Innovative production processes for new food products
• Instrumental parameters correlated with sensory properties (volatiles and texture).

Scientific positions 

• 2019 –now: Associate Professor – Sensory Science / Food science and technology, University of Trento (https://www.centro3a.unitn.it/en/1057/sensory-quality-and-consumer-behaviour)
• 2002 –2019: Senior researcher at Fondazione Edmund Mach San Michele all’Adige, Italy, head of the research unit “Sensory Quality” (2009-19), head of “Quality and Nutrition” Research Group” (2005-08), “Food microbiology and technology” (2002-2005)
• 1995-2002 Junior researcher - “Food Technology” research group - Istituto Agrario San Michele all’Adige, Italy
• 1990 -1995 Research Analyst - “Recycling and soil fertility” research unit - Istituto Agrario di San Michele all’Adige, Italy
• 1988 - 1990 Fellowship (Istituto Sviluppo Tecnologie Ecologiche -Trento)  Study of new strategies and technologies for waste recycling
• 1987 - 1988 Fellowship (Farminindustria Roma) University of Bologna, “Organic synthesis of new compounds with selective bradycardic effect”

Research activities

Since 1995, she has dealt with the characterisation of agri-food products using a combined sensory-instrumental approach, contributing to developing and applying sensory techniques based on panels of trained judges (discriminative and descriptive methods) combined with consumer panels.

She has contributed to the set-up of a new laboratory with a focus on the investigation of perceivable quality of agro-industrial products equipped with innovative and advanced instruments for the detection of volatile compounds responsible for odours and flavours (PTR-MS, GC-MS) and for the measurement of mechanical properties related to texture. 

She has been involved in different research projects that study innovative production processes in the agro-industrial field and the characterisation of typical local products using objective techniques.

In recent years, more attention has been devoted to the research line of the multidisciplinary investigation of the physiological and psychological factors that influence sensory perception, food preference development, and consumer behaviour concerning demographic and genetic aspects. The aim is to contribute to the basic knowledge necessary for encouraging and supporting healthy eating. She is involved in the multidisciplinary investigation of the physiological and psychological factors that influence sensory perception and consumer behaviour and in applicative research employing a combined approach of sensory and instrumental techniques for the characterization of agri-food products. 

She coauthored  more than150 publications in peer-reviewed journals with impact factor, for the complete list: Scopus Author ID: 6603230107 (Metrics/update June 2024: 166 documents, H-index 48) or orcid.org/0000-0003-0055-9464

Memberships in societies

2003 - now: Società Italiana di Scienze Sensoriali  (www.scienzesensoriali.it) *

2020 - now: Società Italiana di Tecnologie Alimentari (https://www.sistal.org/)

 *She is one of the founding members of the Italian Society for Sensory Sciences (www.scienzesensoriali.it) and has been a member of the SISS Board from 2003 to 2023 and since 2023 is part of the Board of Auditors

Since 2018 he has worked in the commission that recognizes the professional qualifications of Sensory Project Manager and Sensory Project Junior Manager following Law 4/2013.

She has been a member of the scientific committee of the national SISS congresses (Roma 2002, Milano 2008, Napoli 2010, Trieste 2012, San Michele all’Adige 2014, Bologna 2016, Matera 2022) and of the organizing committees of the 8th Pangborn Sensory Science Symposium (Florence, 2009), and 8th European Conference on Sensory and Consumer Research (Verona, 2018). 

She has been a member of the scientific committee of the Italian Taste project, the large-scale multidisciplinary studies to uncover influences on food preferences and choice (http://www.it-taste.it/).

Ongoing research projects

SISTERS “Systemic Innovations for a sustainable reduction of the European food wastage”
Period: 2021-26 (start date: 01 Nov. 2021, 54 months)
Funding source: European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (H2020-LC-GD-2020-4) 
Position in the project: Coordinator for Research Unit C3A-UNITN (Linked third party of FEM).

https://www.centro3a.unitn.it/1356/sisters

PROMEDLIFE “Novel food products for the PROmotion of MEDiterranean LIFEstyle and healthy diet” 
Funding source: EU, PRIMA call 2021, “Thematic Area 3-Agri-food value chain 2021” 
Period: 2022-24 (start date: 01 Mar. 2022, 36 months)
Position in the project: Coordinator for Research Unit C3A-UNITN (Linked third party of FEM).

https://www.centro3a.unitn.it/1358/promedlife

MICROSENSDIET “Linking oral microbiome profiles associated with food sensory perception to adolescent dietary patterns” (HEALTH FOOD & LIFESTYLE INest Spoke 2)
Funding source: MUR PNRR- Inest iNEST – Interconnected Nord-Est Innovation Ecosystem) – Spoke 2
Period: 2022-25 (start date: 01 Sep. 2022, 36 months)
Position in the project: Partner – task leader (Task S2_RT4.1 Metagenomic characterization of human gut and oral microbiome under healthy nutritional strategies).

https://www.centro3a.unitn.it/1360/microsens-diet