Shaoyang Wang

Dr. Shaoyang Wang is a Lecturer in the Department of Wine Food & Molecular Biosciences at Lincoln University, New Zealand. His research focuses on improving the texture and mouthfeel of foods and beverages through instrumental, in-silico, and sensory approaches with consideration of food oral processing and oral physiology. He also serves as an Honorary Fellow at the University of Queensland, Australia since 2023.

Dr. Wang's educational background includes:

• PhD from University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
• BSc from Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China

Dr. Wang specializes in food sensory science with particular expertise in wine astringency, texture-modified foods, and consumer science. His research integrates oral physiology and food oral processing to understand how sensory properties affect consumer acceptance. He employs advanced techniques including tribology, QCM-D analysis, and multivariate statistics to study wine mouthfeel and food texture. His work has significant implications for the wine industry, particularly in developing products with enhanced sensory qualities for specific consumer segments and improving low-alcohol wine mouthfeel.

Analysis of Dr. Wang's publication record reveals a consistent progression from fundamental wine chemistry studies to more sophisticated investigations of molecular mechanisms behind sensory perception. His recent work increasingly incorporates molecular biology techniques, as evidenced by his 2025 research on aquaporins in human tongue tissue. The publications demonstrate a methodological evolution from basic sensory evaluation to integrated approaches combining tribology, computational modeling, and physiological measurements.

Dr. Wang actively contributes to the academic community as a member of the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology (NZIFST) and serves on the AGLS Teaching Committee. His research on wine mouthfeel has received notable media coverage, including reporting by Tim Atkin – Master of Wine.

Dr. Wang supervises graduate students in the Master of Science in Food Innovation program and teaches courses including Food Quality and Consumer Acceptance (FOOD 101), Sensory Science and Techniques (FOOD 607), and Wine Quality Assessment (WINE 302). He is available for career advice, collaborative projects, industry consultation, and mentoring opportunities at both short-term and long-term levels.

His research laboratory integrates sensory evaluation panels with advanced instrumental analysis to investigate the complex interactions between food structure, oral processing, and human perception, with particular focus on how saliva mediates sensory experiences of wine and other beverages.