Regine Schönlechner

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Regine Schönlechner is a faculty member at the Department of Food Technology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Austria. Her research and teaching focus on cereal science, food processing, gluten-free technologies, and sustainable food systems. She has held visiting professorships in Peru and Thailand and is actively engaged in national and international scientific communities.

Research Interests:

• Food Technology and Cereal Science
• Gluten-Free and Pseudocereal-Based Products
• Ohmic Heating and Novel Baking Technologies
• Functionalization of Cereal Byproducts (e.g., oat husks, arabinoxylans)
• Nutritional Enhancement of Alternative Grains (e.g., sorghum, quinoa)
• Sourdough Fermentation and Starter Cultures
• Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Food Systems

Publication Trends: Her recent work centers on the technological and nutritional optimization of sorghum and other climate-smart cereals for bakery applications, the use of arabinoxylan-protein networks for gluten-free stabilization, and valorization of agricultural byproducts. Her interdisciplinary approach combines food chemistry, processing engineering, and sustainability principles.

Scientific Awards:

• Ehrendoktorat (Doctor honoris causa), Budapest University of Technology and Economics (2025)
• Postdoctoral Fellowship, Prince of Songkla University (2022)
• Fellow, ICC Academy (2020)
• Agrana Forschungsförderungspreis (2014)
• Wirtschaftskammerpreis (2007)

Advising and Community Engagement: She supervises student research, as evidenced by student-led conference posters. She is frequently invited to speak at industry and scientific events on topics such as alternative proteins, clean label trends, and sustainable food processing. She has contributed to public outreach through media appearances and talks on food additives, palm oil, and future food trends.

Labs and Teams: She collaborates with researchers across Europe on cereal science, particularly within the ICC (International Association for Cereal Science and Technology) network. Her work involves interdisciplinary teams focusing on gluten analysis, sourdough microbiology, and novel food processing technologies like ohmic heating.