Gabriella Morini

Gabriella Morini is a Researcher at the University of Gastronomic Sciences (UNISG) in Pollenzo, Italy, where she has worked since January 2004. She teaches Molecular and Taste Sciences in the Bachelor's Degree in Gastronomic Sciences and Cultures, contributing to the design of UNISG's foundational programs. Her role spans research, teaching, and institutional leadership within UNISG's Quality and Innovation interdisciplinary area.

Dr. Morini earned her Food Science degree from the University of Milan (1989) and conducted international research at the University of Reading (UK), Colorado State University (USA), Swiss Institute for Alternatives to Animal Testing (Basel), and London's National Institute for Medical Research:

• University of Reading, UK
• Colorado State University, USA
• Swiss Institute for Alternatives to Animal Testing, Basel
• National Institute for Medical Research, London

Her research centers on chemoreception (taste/chemesthesis), taste genetics, health-taste relationships, taste ontogenesis, and bio-cultural food choice analysis. Current UNISG projects—DIGI GASE (digital gastronomy education), SF4C (School Food for Change), and L4E (Learn4Earth)—integrate these themes into sustainable food education frameworks. She previously advised the Nordic Food Lab (Copenhagen) until its 2018 closure.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2020-2024) reveals dominant trends in taste receptor genetics (TAS2R38/TRPV1), ethnobotanical studies (e.g., Ikaria's wild greens), and pandemic-related sensory research. Her work bridges molecular mechanisms with dietary implications, particularly in functional foods and taste disorder diagnostics, while emphasizing cross-cultural perspectives in food science.

As Convenor of the Master of Applied Gastronomy: Culinary Arts and Student Ombudsman, Dr. Morini oversees academic advising at the program level. Her research is institutionally supported through UNISG projects rather than external grants, focusing on digital education (DIGI GASE), school food systems (SF4C), and sustainability curricula (L4E).

Collaborative networks include former engagement with Copenhagen's Nordic Food Lab and current leadership in UNISG's Quality and Innovation research cluster. Her projects involve multi-institutional teams developing gastronomy education frameworks, sustainable food policies, and community-based dietary interventions across European and African contexts.