Veronika Somoza

Prof. Veronika Somoza is a leading academic in Nutritional Systems Biology, currently affiliated with the University of Vienna and Technical University of Munich (TUM). She holds a professorship in Molecular Food Science and has led key research groups such as the Institute of Physiological Chemistry and the Christian Doppler Laboratory for Bioactive Aromatics. Her career includes roles at institutions like the German Research Institute for Food Chemistry (Garching) and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

• Education: Diplom (Justus Liebig University Giessen, 1991), PhD (University of Vienna, 1995), Habilitation (Kiel University, 2002)
• Research Focus: Bioactive food compounds, flavor chemistry, taste receptor signaling, and gastrointestinal physiology

Her work bridges food science and human health, particularly in understanding how food ingredients influence digestion, inflammation, and disease. Notable contributions include discoveries on bitter peptide effects on gastric acid secretion and flavor perception modulation.

• Awards: FEMA Excellence in Flavor Science (2016), ACS AGFD Fellow (2020), Hans Adolf Krebs Prize (2004)

Prof. Somoza has pioneered methodologies in atomic force microscopy for foodborne virus detection and developed bitterness-masking compounds for pharmaceuticals. Her interdisciplinary approach integrates nanobiophysics with nutrition to advance functional food design and clinical applications.