University of Oxford

Professor Charles Spence is a world-famous experimental psychologist with a specialization in neuroscience-inspired multisensory design. He has worked with many of the world’s largest companies across the globe since establishing the Crossmodal Research Laboratory (CRL) at the Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford University in 1997. Prof. Spence has published over 800 articles and edited or authored, 10 academic volumes including, in 2014, the Prose prize-winning “The perfect meal”, and the recent bestseller “Gastrophysics: The new science of eating” (2017; Penguin Viking). Much of Prof. Spence’s work focuses on the design of enhanced multisensory food and drink experiences, through collaborations with chefs, baristas, mixologists, perfumiers, and the food and beverage, and flavour and fragrance industries. Prof. Spence has also worked extensively on the question of how technology will transform our dining experiences in the future.

Champalimaud Center for the Unknown

Carlos Ribeiro is a principal investigator at Champalimaud Research in Lisbon, Portugal and a member of the FENS-Kavli network of excellence. His laboratory works at the interface of behavior, metabolism and physiology and studies how nutrients and internal states act at the level of neuronal and physiological systems to generate the correct nutritional decisions needed for the survival and reproduction of organisms. The powerful genetics of Drosophila melanogaster, allows them to manipulate circuits and molecular mechanisms, survey neuronal function using activity imaging, and query behavioral outcomes using novel automated, quantitative methods. These approaches are complemented with precise nutritional and microbial manipulations to reach an integrated understanding of nutrition. He has contributed to our understanding of how nutrients and reproductive states act at the level of neuronal circuits and molecular mechanisms to control nutrient selection. More recently he has become interested in understanding how specific gut microbes regulate food cravings.

The Centre for Taste and Feeding Behaviour

Based in the research unit Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation (The Centre for Taste and Feeding Behaviour). Martine Morzel is conducting research on the links between chemosensory perception, dietary habits and saliva composition in human subjects of various ages and health conditions. She is currently coordinating a European project entitled SALAMANDER (SALivAry bioMarkers of mediterraneAN Diet associated with long-tERm protection against type 2 diabetes mellitus).

University of Porto

Professor Pedro Moreira is a nutritionist and full professor of Human Nutrition and dof the Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Porto (FCNAUP). Member of the Research Centre in Physical Activity, Health and Leisure and of the Institute of Public Health, both from the University of Porto, Prof. Pedro Moreira is consultant at the Directorate-General of Health, Ministry of Health. He is editor of the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism since 2013 and author of numerous scientific articles and books.

University of Florence

Sara Spinelli is Post doc researcher at the University of Florence. She received her PhD from the University of Bologna, and continued her career with postdoctoral studies in sensory and consumer research at the University of Bologna and at the University of Florence, where she has currently a Young Researcher fellowship focussed on individual differences in food preferences.
Her research interests include emotions, personality traits, context and language in food experience, innovation and new product development. On these topics she authored several scientific papers published in peer-reviewed journals and invited book chapters. Sara is member of the editorial board of the journal Food Quality and Preference and of the Scientific Committee of the Italian Taste research project coordinated by the Italian Sensory Science Society.

The Centre for Taste and Feeding Behaviour

Francis Canon is a researcher, working for the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), at the Center for Taste and Feeding Behavior (CSGA) in Dijon, France. He received his PhD in biochemistry from the Centre international d’études supérieures en sciences agronomiques at Montpellier in 2010. Afterwards, he was a postdoctoral researcher at the synchrotron SOLEIL using mass spectrometry coupled to synchrotron radiation to study proteins. The focus of his current research is the interaction between salivary proteins and flavor compounds and their impact on perception. Currently, he is coordinating a French national project entitled MUcosal salivary Film and Flavour INteractions (MUFFIN). This project aims at gaining a deeper understanding of the role of the oral mucosa in astringency and aroma persistence.

Polytechnic Institute of Bragança

Full Professor at Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (Portugal) and Director of the Mountain Research Centre (CIMO). President of the Scientific Council of Natural and Environmental Sciences of the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), Portugal and member of the Steering Committee "Strategic Basic Research" of Foundation Flanders (FWO). She is also the Coordinator of the National and Iberian Mountain Research Networks. She was awarded by different institutions such as Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (2001), ISPROF (2013) for the achievements in helping the Portuguese Science to progress, COTNH (2014) for international cooperation, Women in Science (2016) by Ciência Viva and merit medal of Bragança (2017), and has supervised several post-doc, PhD and master students. She is associate editor of Food & Function (a journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry), principal investigator of several national and international financed research projects, and evaluator of international research projects (e.g., Eurostars, ERA-NET ARIMNet 2 and LEAP-Agri from EU and National Science Foundations of Austria, South Africa, Chile, Croatia, Denmark, Czech Republic, Poland, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates and Argentine), and national projects and post-doc and PhD grants from FCT. She is the editor of two international books and of the topical collection Bioactive Compounds in Molecules Journal, and has published several patents, 30 international book chapters and over 480 papers in refereed journals.

Estoril Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotel Studies

Ricardo Bonacho is an Assistant professor in Food Design at the Estoril Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotel Studies in MsC of Innovation in Culinary Arts, an Assistant Professor in Design Applied to Culinary Arts at the School of Tourism and Maritime Technology at the Higher Institute of Leiria, an Invited Professor at the University of Beira Interior and a researcher at CIAUD - Research Center for Architecture, Urbanism and Design of the Faculty of Architecture - University of Lisbon. His main research interests are the relationship between Design and Gastronomy and the possible contributions to the teaching of Design in Culinary Arts. He is the coordinator of Design and Communication of the academic and cultural meetings from the Receiving / Perceiving English Literature project, based at the School of Arts and Humanities - University of Lisbon. In 2015 he earned the title of Specialist in the Scientific Area of Audio Visual and Production Media, while working as a senior designer for national and international entities and developing his own projects on Design, Gastronomy and Communication.

Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon

​Endocrinologist and associate professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon, Dr. Isabel do Carmo was head of the Endocrinology service at the Santa Maria Hospital, until 2013, and coordinator of this hospital and of the Lisboa Norte health centers, from 2005 to 2013. She founded the training course in Eating Disorders at the Faculty of Medicine, of which she is currently part of the teaching staff and member of the scientific board. Dr. Isabel also founded the Portuguese Society for the Study of Obesity (Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo da Obesidade) and the Center for Eating Disorders (Núcleo de Doenças do Comportamento Alimentar). She was president of the Scientific Board of the Platform against Obesity of the Directorate-General for Health (Portugal), until its extinction in 2011.

University of Évora

Maria Raquel is a professor of Management at the University of Évora, visiting professor at the Warsaw University and researcher at CEFAGE in the domains of food marketing, consumer behaviour, value chain and sustainability. She has extensive research in the area of management and marketing and has participated in diverse projects, including transnational studies with Latin America, Asia and Africa. She is a book editor and the author of several book chapters, papers in international refereed journals and other publications.

ISCTE - University Institute of Lisbon

Cristina Godinho, PhD in Clinical and Health Psychology, is currently post-doc researcher at the Faculty of Human Kinetics of the University of Lisbon, member of the National Program for the Promotion of Physical Activity of the Directorate-General of Health (Portugal) and visiting professor of the Masters’ programme in Social and Health Psychology of the University Institute of Lisbon (ISCTE-IUL). Cristina Godinho’s research is focused on the change of health-related behaviours, namely, promoting healthy eating and physical activity, and is published in various international journals in the fields of Nutrition, Public Health and Health Psychology. International collaborations include the Freie Universität of Berlin and Kent State University (Ohio, USA) as well as the University College of London, where she collaborated as associated researcher for two years. She’s scientific referee of various journals and associated editor of “Psychology, Community & Health”.

Estoril Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotel Studies

Professor of World Cuisine and Dietary Cooking at the Estoril Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotel Studies. Executive chef of the restaurant chain “Go Natural”, as well as “Miss Japa” and “The Cut”. Former chef at “QB Essence” and “Bica do Sapato Sushi Bar”, Anna Lins is the first Portuguese woman to be certified by the All Japan Sushi Association.

University of Évora

Sónia Bombico, PhD in History and Archaeology, is currently researcher and responsible for the Science Communication at the Interdisciplinary Centre of History, Cultures and Societies – CIDEHUS/University of Évora.Her research is focused on roman maritime economy, navigation in Ancient Times, production and trade of food products and underwater cultural heritage. She finished her postgraduate studies in Mediterranean Maritime Archaeology at the University of Barcelona in 2008 and holds a Master’s degree in Management and Valorisation of Historical and Cultural Heritage from the University of Évora. She is part of the UNESCO Chair team in Intangible Heritage and Traditional know-how linking Heritage and Executive Director of the UNIMED (Mediterranean Universities Union) Office at University of Évora.

Católica University

Manuela Pintado is a Professor of the College of Biotechnology of the Portuguese Catholic University since 2005. In 2017, she became director of the Chemistry and Biotechnology Center – State Associate Laboratory, as well as Associate Director of The College of Biotechnology of the Portuguese Catholic University. Her research interests include Biotechnology and Biochemistry, namely, in a range of key technologies for the production, characterization, and preservation of industrially/traditionally processed products.

University of Évora & Project SALSA H2020

Teresa Pinto Correia is full professor in the department of Landscape, Environment and Planning of the University of Évora and director of the Institute for Mediterranean Agrarian and Environmental Sciences of the same university. Her research interests include management of rural landscapes, assessment of policy instruments, analysis of the rural space processes and dynamics and farm systems and farm transition processes.

University of Évora & Project SALSA H2020

María is an environmental scientist specialized in sustainable development. She is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Évora. She also works as a rural and livelihood specialist in Environmental and Social Impact Assessment projects for 5 Capitals. Most of her ESIA experience is in African countries. Teresa and María are developing SALSA, an Horizon2020 project aiming at providing a better understanding of the current and potential contribution of small farms and food businesses to sustainable food and nutrition security.