Sonia Calligaris

Sonia Calligaris is an Associate Professor at the Department of Agri-Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Italy, since 2018. With a PhD in Food Science and Technology (2003) and MSc (1998) from the same university, her research focuses on food structure and functionality, specializing in biopolymer chemistry, lipid crystallization, and novel food technologies.

• Editor-in-Chief of Food Structure Journal (2020-present)
• Coordinator of Erasmus projects and international research collaborations
• Over 90 peer-reviewed publications with H-index 24 (Scopus, 2020)

Research Themes

Calligaris explores:

• Oleogelation and biopolymer colloidal systems for sustainable fat alternatives
• Shelf life prediction models for oxidized foods
• Novel applications of supercritical CO₂ drying and high-pressure homogenization
• Delivery systems for probiotics and bioactives

Her work bridges fundamental food structure research with industrial applications.

Scientific Recognition

• 2004 National 'Carlo Lerici' Prize for Best PhD Thesis
• 2006 National Innovation Prize as part of a research team
• 2010 Best Publication Prize at Udine Agricultural Faculty

Calligaris supervises undergraduate, graduate, and PhD students while leading industry-funded research projects on food structure optimization.