Chiara Chirilli

Chiara Chirilli is a research fellow at the University of Gastronomic Sciences of Pollenzo (UNISG), where she recently obtained her PhD in Ecogastronomy, Food Sciences and Cultures (February 2026) with a thesis entitled “Thermal Taster Status and Oral Perception: Linking Individual Differences to Eating Behavior”. She holds an MSc in Food Science and Technology from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Piacenza (2019). She is a licensed Food Technologist (2020).

Her research focuses on individual differences in oral and thermal sensitivity and their relationship with food preferences and eating behavior. She is part of the Sensory, Behavior and Cognition Laboratory (SBC Lab) at UNISG, where she has contributed to projects investigating food perception, consumer behavior, and the transition towards healthier and more sustainable food systems, including the regional project PRIME – Processi e prodotti Innovativi di chimica vErde (2020–2022), the European Horizon project FEAST – Food systems that support transitions to hEAlthy and Sustainable dieTs (2023–2025), and the PNRR-funded project NODES – Nord Ovest Digitale E Sostenibile (2024–2025).

She is the author or co-author of several peer-reviewed publications in international journals and has presented her research at major international conferences. She is a member of the Società Italiana di Scienze Sensoriali (SISS), the European Sensory Science Society (E3S) – Next Generation Group, and has been involved in E3S-related working-group activities, particularly on texture perception and oral processing.