Da-Wen Sun

Professor Da-Wen Sun is a globally recognized authority in food and biosystems engineering at the UCD School of Biosystems & Food Engineering, University College Dublin. His research focuses on enhancing food preservation through innovative technologies like ultrasound-assisted freezing to minimize nutrient loss and structural damage in frozen foods.

• Key contributions: Developed ultrasound freezing methods to reduce ice crystal damage
• Editor of seminal texts including Handbook of Frozen Food Processing
• Founded the journal Food and Bioprocess Technology

His work bridges computational modeling (e.g., CFD simulations, machine learning) with industrial applications, particularly in freezing, drying, and vacuum cooling. Recent studies explore terahertz imaging for pest detection, deep eutectic solvents for moisture control, and cold plasma for allergen reduction.

Scientific awards include:

• Frozen Food Foundation Freezing Research Award (2013) - First non-US recipient
• CIGR Honorary President title (2016) for leadership in agricultural engineering

He leads the UCD Food Refrigeration & Computerised Food Technology group, collaborating internationally on technologies like nanosensors and green cryoprotectants to advance sustainable food systems.