Ioannis Zabetakis

Ioannis Zabetakis is an Associate Professor in Food Chemistry at the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Limerick (UL). He holds a B.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Athens, a PhD in Food Chemistry from the University of Leeds, a MEd in Food Science from the University of Leeds, and a Professional Diploma on Strategic Leadership from UL. His research focuses on the cardioprotective properties of food lipids, functional feeds, and nutraceuticals, with a strong emphasis on sustainability and valorising food industry side-streams.

• Education:
  • B.Sc. in Chemistry (1993), National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
  • PhD in Food Chemistry (1997), University of Leeds
  • MEd in Food Science (2001), University of Leeds
  • Professional Diploma on Strategic Leadership (2023), University of Limerick

Ioannis has dedicated his career since 2000 to studying the impact of foods against cardiovascular diseases (CVD), developing novel functional foods and nutraceuticals. His work spans polar lipids in salmon and dairy products, anti-inflammatory/anti-thrombotic properties in functional feeds, and collaborations with Irish companies like Life’s2good and Rockfield Ltd. to create bioactive products. He has contributed to UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through sustainable practices and valorising food industry by-products such as apple pomace and spent grain.

His research has led to two patents: a World Patent and European Patent on fish feed enriched with polar lipids. He also holds IP rights for a novel nutraceutical extract from salmon. Ioannis has published over 115 peer-reviewed articles (h-index 38) and authored three books, including a recent monograph on inflammation and CVD in press with Cambridge Scholars Publishing. He has developed a new MSc course in Functional Foods and Product Development at UL and increased student enrollment during his tenure as Head of Department of Biological Sciences (2018–2023).